LITTLE

A Novel by Hickory Cole
Copyright © 2012  Hickory Cole

SMASHWORDS EDITION


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PUBLISHED BY:
Hickory Cole on Smashwords


Licensing notes

Thank you for downloading this eBook.  This book may not be reproduced, copied or distributed for any purposes, in whole or in part, with the exception of quotes used in reviews.

Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental.  The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

PROLOGUE

All three McCullough brothers sat around the small campfire laughing about the latest prank Brock had attempted at school.  Friday nights came only once a week and could not be wasted by the trio of teenage boys who found themselves more comfortable sitting on a rock around a campfire than in the classroom of Gatlinburg-Pittman High.  They often found themselves in front of the principal when any mischief occurred on campus, regardless of their guilt or innocence.  More often than not, the former applied.  They had each other, and that was enough to get them through the rough spots of their teenage years.
Brock sat a few feet from the fire holding a long stick with a squirrel skewered on its end, skinned, gutted and ready to serve once the flames crisped up the outer meat.  Brian, the eldest, looked at the fire and determined they needed more wood.  He left his two younger brothers while he wandered down the hill to find some decent scraps to burn.
Blaine sat quietly listening to the sounds of the woods at night.  "Hey Brock, did you hear that?"
"What?  That?  That was just Brian."
"No, man, I heard something.  You didn't hear it?"
"Shut up.  Stop being stupid.  I invented that game."
Blaine perked his ear up towards the origin of the strange noise.  "I'm not playing around.  Maybe Brian circled around and is trying to spook us."
"One of you is being stupid for sure."
Blaine stood up and walked to the edge of the clearing where they had set up camp.  He cupped his hand around his ear.  "Brock, you don't hear that?"  He paused for a moment hearing the noise again.  "Brian?"
Brock turned to watch the antics of his two brothers unfold just in time to see a large shadowy figure leap from the dark pouncing on his twin brother.  The beast made no sound as it crushed Blaine’s rib cage and shook him violently like a dog would a chew toy.
Brock leapt to his feet and disappeared into the darkness, leaving his brother to his fate.  Brian witnessed the same event but from a greater distance.  He dropped the few branches he'd gathered and ran for help.
CHAPTER ONE

Juni sat behind a silent cash register listening to the rain tapping on the wooden shingles overhead.  The low roar of the Sunday afternoon shower warmed his heart, that and the gentle trickle of the temporary brook running near the front stoop of the little art shop his parents owned.  Those were the days he loved the most in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.  He enjoyed the bright clear skies as well, but he was never more at peace than when listening to a cool rain fall on the lush green mountain roads of Sevier County.  His parents had relocated to Gatlinburg, Tennessee when he was three years old, so that place was the only one he knew.  Located on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg was a tranquil tourist spot.  The small shop they operated sold trinkets, souvenirs and modestly priced framed photographs that captured the essence of their small corner of the world.  His dad had always been a photography buff but didn’t turn professional until they moved to Tennessee from Baltimore fifteen years earlier.  All of the photos for sale in their shop had been captured by the lens of one of Samuel Little's cameras.
Their top seller by far, titled The Arrangement, was a candid photo of three bear cubs playing on the side of the road.  The photograph recorded a once in a lifetime moment for the Little family.  They were driving on one of the many winding roads that cut through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains when Juni’s younger sister, Maggie, first spotted the three little bear cubs on the side of the road digging through the spilled contents of a crate that had fallen off a truck.  Juni’s dad snapped several shots, but the one he considered his personal Rembrandt was a photo featuring two of the three cubs up ended, nose first in the crate with their hind legs hanging out.  Maggie later helped coin the name of the photograph, noting the resemblance of the bear cubs’ hind quarters spilling over the edge of the crate much like that of flowers out of a vase.  That coupled with the word "ORCHID" printed on the side of the crate made it the obvious choice.  They played around with several variations of names involving flowers, orchids, and floral arrangements, until Juni suggested they just go with The Arrangement.  Once uttered it resoundingly became the favorite and stuck for good.
As far as monikers went, the name Little fit Juni more than he liked to admit.  He was a good looking kid full of confidence, but he was small in stature, standing five foot six wearing his thickest souled shoes.  What he lacked in size he made up for in heart.  There were few challenges Juni ever shied away from.  That was his nature.
Maggie was a rambunctious nine year old ball of energy.  She loved to go outside in the rain and splash in the puddles.  She often had to entertain herself at the store in the afternoons when her mom stopped by with her in tow while running errands.  Normally it took two to run the shop, a rotation between Juni, his mom, and his dad.  The odd man out served on another shift as the care giver for little Maggie Little.  Juni had few issues with either role he was asked to fill.  He found working in the shop relaxing and fulfilling as he contributed to the family’s finances.  He enjoyed meeting new people, and they were all new people.  In the tourist business repeat customers didn’t really exist, at least none that could be recognized over the spans of time between visits, for the most part.  As for taking care of his little sister he didn’t mind that at all.  They were ten years apart in age.  She was an even tempered kid and for the most part did what she was told.  But she had a great spirit that set her apart from other kids her age.  She never needed to be entertained.  If boredom was a sign of a lack of intelligence then Maggie was surely a genius.  That being said, the main challenge was keeping up with her.
"Mom, can I pulleeeez go out and play."
Margo Little remained focused on her task at hand, unpacking the new shipment of postcards on top of a display case.  "What kind of mother would I be if I let my daughter go play in the rain?"
"A very cool mother."  Maggie replied as she began silently counting the flowers on the cover of one of the calendars on display.
"Well I am not taking you outside, and you know the rule."
"Why not mom?  It’s just a little rain.  It won’t hurt you."
"But it will get me wet.  And right now I prefer to be dry."
"I’ll take her outside" Juni interjected.  Juni had always enjoyed going out in the rain himself as a kid.  Nostalgia took over where common sense left off.
Juni’s mom did not look particularly enthused with his offer.  "I don’t know.  I don’t want you two getting soaked to the bone out there."
"We’ll be fine mom," Maggie argued.  "I have my slicker and Juni has his jacket."
"Yeah mom.  We won’t wander off too far."
Margo paused.  "I guess," she said, finally giving in.
Maggie squealed and ran to get her slicker from the coat rack.  She grabbed Juni’s jacket as well and ran past Juni tossing it in his face, laughing at her spectacular aim.
Juni pulled the jacket off his head revealing his mussed up hair.  "Don’t you think you should be nice to the person who just offered to take you outside in the rain?"
Maggie continued to laugh.  "I am being nice.  I brought you your jacket."
The two donned their rain gear and made their way onto the covered porch.  Juni looked up at the sky reassessing his offer.  Maggie sensed hesitation on his part and jumped out into the small stream running by the front steps.
The splash sprayed Juni’s pant legs.  "Hey, you little…"
Maggie just looked back and giggled.
Juni extended his hand.  "C’mon.  Let’s go."  They headed towards the marked trail that emptied out of the woods right next to their store.
Maggie skipped along as they went.  "Juni," Maggie began.  "What are you going to do after you graduate?"
Juni looked down and smiled at his sister.  "I dunno.  Why do you ask?"
"I heard Mom telling Dad that you are trying to decide if you want to go away to college or stay here."
"Yeah.  And what do you think I should do?"
"Well…" Maggie paused, having given the topic some serious thought.  "On the one hand college is very important.  You will be shaping your future so not just any college will do."
"You sound like a commercial."
"But on the other hand you have the store.  Mom and Dad are getting pretty old and will need someone to take over one day."
"Pretty old huh?  How old is Dad, 47?  Hmmm.  I think we should keep that point to ourselves."
"And there is community college, so you could keep all options on the table."
"Well Maggie that is a very well laid out presentation.  Which way are you leaning?"
Maggie hesitated a bit.  "There’s one more thing."
"Yes?"
"Well…Mom and Dad would miss you a lot if you go away."
Juni grinned.  "Would they?"
"Yes, they would."
"Well… I would miss them a great deal as well."
Maggie hung her head, avoiding eye contact.
Juni squeezed Maggie’s hand.  "You know.  That is a ways off from now.  We don’t need to figure it out today."
Juni decided to change the subject.  "So Maggie, now that we are deep into the woods, what do we do if we come across a bear?"
Maggie rolled her eyes.  They had been over the rules a thousand times, but she humored him.  "Stop.  Wait for the bear to leave.  If he doesn’t leave, back away.  Never turn and run.  If he follows you try to make a lot of noise and scare him off.  Never turn your back to him."
"Good.  That’s exactly right."
"Duh.  We talk about that all the time."
"We talk about it because it’s important.  You know I would miss you a lot if you got eaten by a bear."
"Don’t be silly."
"I would!  I would miss you…plus…the poor bear.  He’d get such a stomach ache."
"Juni!"  Maggie smacked her brother on the arm.
"What?  I’m just saying."

They continued walking down the path.   The sound of the rain on the canopy of the forest began to diminish, though the droplets accumulated on the leaves above continued to fall.  They reached the crest on the hill they were climbing and could see a split in the trail.  They knew those trails well.  The split rejoined into one trail just on the other side of a thick stand of trees.  Maggie always wanted to race her brother to see which trail was faster.  As she would often do Maggie dropped Juni’s hand and sprinted off without warning.  Juni played along and took off down the opposite trail.  He always beat her no matter which trail she picked.  It was only about a hundred yards to the point where the trails rejoined.  Within fifteen seconds Juni arrived at the juncture out of breath.  He always liked to slow his breathing and lean casually against a tree as if he had been waiting for several minutes when his sister finally caught up.  He played his part again as usual.  He stared down the empty trail waiting for Maggie to emerge.  Thirty seconds passed, twice the normal amount of time he would have to wait, and there was no sign of her.  He began to worry.  After roughly a minute he began heading down her trail to see what had happened.  He considered the fact that she might be playing a prank on him and annoyance overtook concern as he convinced himself that was exactly what was in play at the moment.
Suddenly he heard a scream.  He broke into a sprint heading towards his sister.  He arrived within seconds to find her standing over a mutilated carcass just off the trail.  Maggie stood a few feet from the badly mangled trunk of the body.  One partial limb remained attached to the torso and the rib cage had been badly crushed.  The carcass had been stripped clean of its hide and the head was gone.  Juni studied it, but the remains were too mangled to make any guess what it was before being so viciously torn apart.  It didn’t look like a typical kill from a mountain predator but that’s what Juni assumed it to be until Maggie pointed out the blood soaked shirt laying only a few feet away.
Juni grabbed Maggie by the hand and pulled her away heading back to the store.  Maggie was shaken by the site convinced that she had seen the dead body of a person, not an animal.  Juni wasn’t sure himself that she was wrong.  Either way it seemed odd that the ribs had been crushed.  That didn’t add up if it was an animal attack.
Within a few minutes they were back at the store.  Juni downplayed the event in front of his sister.  She was very upset by what she saw, claiming someone had been killed out there.  Juni’s dad decided to call it into the Sheriff’s office just in case it was more than a dead animal.

It took the sheriff over an hour to show up at their store.  Maggie had begun to calm down a bit but was still on edge.  When the squad car pulled up she started pacing back and forth.  Margo grabbed her daughter and took her in the back storage room to help unpack some merchandise that had been sitting in there for a few days.  Maggie reluctantly complied looking over her shoulder as the large bellied man dressed in a beige and brown uniform climbed out of his car.
Juni’s father walked out onto the front porch greeting the sheriff.  "Good afternoon.  Sam Little."  Mr. Little extended his hand.  "This is my store.  Please come in."
The sheriff removed his wide brimmed hat revealing his thin wispy comb over which he promptly slicked back down.  He was a big man, a few inches over six feet tall weighing just over 250 pounds.  He spoke with a thick southern drawl and had a big chaw of tobacco in one cheek.
"Mr. Little."  The sheriff shook the extended hand of Mr. Little before entering ahead of him.  "Sheriff Washburn."
"Sheriff Washburn, this is my son Juni.  He and my daughter were on a walk when they discovered the body."
The sheriff looked around the store while Juni and his dad watched him.  He was in no hurry.  "Now Mr. Little, you say body.  When we spoke earlier you said you weren’t sure if it was a person or an animal."
"That’s correct."
"Well then let’s refrain from calling it a body until we know for sure.  Animals have carcasses.  People have bodies.  Calling it a body is sensationalizing the situation.  We need to keep our heads about us."
"Sorry.  I didn’t mean to imply anything."
The sheriff continued staring slowly around the shop.  After a few seconds he donned his hat.  "Okay son.  Why don’t you lead the way to what you saw."
The three men followed the same path Juni had taken with his sister earlier.  They came upon the mutilated carcass within a few minutes.  Juni pointed out the bloody shirt lying on the ground.  The sheriff picked up the shirt using a stick giving it a quick examination.  He looked at the shirt, then at the remains.  Then he spit from his chew.
"That ain’t no body.  Best guess, I’d say it’s a deer."  He spit again.
"What about the shirt?" Juni asked.
"The shirt isn’t torn.  Not even one of the buttons is missing.  If this were a murder, a violent murder like this looks, I don’t think the perpetrator would remove this men's XL shirt quite so carefully before he started hacking the guy to bits.  Besides the deer’s head is over there."
Juni spun to see the remains of the head behind him.  "Best guess, huh?"
"It was a pretty good guess."  The sheriff spit one more time for good measure.
Samuel motioned for Juni to come along.  "Sorry Sheriff Washburn for taking up your time."
"Don’t mention it Mr. Little.  Kids see things and get a little spooked sometimes.  It happens to the best of ‘em."
Juni didn’t like the way he was being dismissed as a kid who got spooked.  "Well, I am sorry sir.  Had it not been for the blood soaked shirt…"
"Easy mistake to make son.  I’ve seen it all."
"So…" Juni hesitated for a second.  "What do you make of the scattered carcass, the crushed ribcage?  Doesn’t that seem odd behavior for a mountain lion or a bear?"
"More likely a pack of wolves did this.  But you never know.  Animals can behave peculiar at times.  I’m sure it’s nothing."
"You don’t think a person might have done this?"
"It’s possible.  Maybe some kids up to mischief.  That could be it.  Either way it’s nothing to get worked up about."

That night the four Littles sat around the dinner table.  Maggie had little to say and picked at her food.  Juni tried to lighten the mood by talking about the latest scandal at school that week.  According to reliable sources Brock McCullough got caught vandalizing the girls’ locker room.  He ripped the tampon dispenser off the wall and clogged all the toilets with the contents.  The idiot left his monogramed pocket knife at the scene and the blade was bent where he had used it to pry the dispenser open.
Juni’s story was met with a mild reaction from his parents and nothing from Maggie.
After a few moments of awkward silence that followed he thought he would try again.  "So Maggie, Mom told me you entered this year's science fair at school.  What are you doing this time?"
Maggie continued to stare at her plate.
"Maggie?" Juni prodded.
"I dunno.  Probably some dumb idea."
Juni looked at his mom and dad.  "Maggie, I bet I could help you come up with something cool if you don’t have definite plans yet."
Maggie raised her eyes.  "Okay, if you want to help I suppose that’s okay."
"Sure Maggie, we can brainstorm tomorrow after school."
Maggie liked spending time with her brother.  Any activity that brought them together was fun for her.
"So Juni," his mom said.  "Maggie told me you two were discussing your plans after graduation."
The conversation had just taken a turn for the worse from Juni’s perspective.  "What?  Oh yeah.  I guess you could say it came up."
"So I’m interested to hear what you’re thinking."
"I’m not sure.  I think I need a little more time to decide."
"Well you did get accepted to the four colleges you sent in applications to."
"Yeah, but I’m not sure.  It doesn’t feel right leaving just yet.  I think I like the idea of starting off at community college first."
"Hey, that was my suggestion."  Maggie beamed as she interrupted.
"That’s right squirt.  You did suggest that."
Margo continued her line of questioning.  "So why not just take the plunge and go to Tennessee?  It’s not too far from here.  You could come back any weekend you wanted."
"Yeah.  I don’t know…  It’s just that…"
"Just what Juni?"
"I’m not sure I’m cut out for college."
Samuel and Margo glanced at each other trying to withhold their look of shock.
Samuel picked up where Margo left off.  "Juni, you are a straight-A student.  You are the definition of college material."
"I know what you’re saying Dad but there’s more to it than just good grades.  I still have no idea what I want to do, career-wise."
Sam Little folded up his napkin and set it on the table next to his plate.  "Okay, so let’s play out this hypothetical scenario where you don’t go to college.  What’s next?"
"Well Andrew Bynum from school said that Larson Poultry is hiring now.  They start you at two dollars over minimum wage, and then I’d be eligible for a fifty cent raise after three months."
Juni’s mom shook her head and looked over at his dad.
Samuel paused for a moment before saying, "You know Juni.  That might be a very good idea.  But you shouldn’t wait until summer.  Those jobs will be hard to come by after school lets out."
Margo stared with contempt at her husband.  Juni was a bit shocked as well that he was so agreeable to the idea, even willing to allow him to apply for the job prior to graduation.  There were two weeks left before summer break with finals that next week for seniors.  It had been a firm family policy in the past that while school was in session no jobs outside the family business were allowed.  It was a complete departure.
Samuel patted his wife’s hand reassuringly.  They would definitely be discussing the matter later.
Maggie sat quietly in her seat smiling from ear to ear.  That was the best news she had heard all day.
CHAPTER TWO

Juni showed up at the store after school the next day to find Maggie waiting there for him.  He started to ask why she was there when he remembered that he had promised to help with her science project the night before.
"Okay, Maggie.  Are you ready to get started on this?"
Maggie nodded and jumped down off the stool behind the counter and grabbed her backpack.  She walked past him, out the door, and climbed into his Jeep Cherokee.
Juni waved goodbye to his mom and dad and headed out to his Jeep.
"So I was thinking… how about we go out behind our house down to that stream that runs on the back edge of our property and catch some tadpoles.  Then we could take pictures of them every day and document how they turn into frogs."
"Nah."
"No?  Okay, do you remember that place along Timber Creek trail where those crazy looking flowers grow?  We could go out there and pick some of those and then look them up and show what genus and family they belong to and then you put the flowers in…"
"Nah."
"Okay…  How about we go into the national park and…"
"Nah."
"What?  I haven’t even told you my idea yet."
"I don’t want to do a nature project."
"What?  Maggie Little doesn’t like nature.  That’s all you ever want to do.  Let’s go for a trail walk Juni.  Let’s have a cricket race Juni.  Let’s go camping Juni."
Maggie shuttered at the last suggestion.
"What?  You don’t like camping now?"
"I can’t even think about that now.  Not with that monster out there."
"Monster?  Maggie, no, there’s no monster.  The sheriff said it was just a wolf pack or a mountain lion or a bear, or maybe it was some kids up to no good.  But it’s no monster.  I bet it’s those McCullough kids.  They’re always up to something."
"I don’t know Juni.  It looked like the work of a monster to me."
"Yeah?  And you know what the work of monsters looks like?"
Maggie looked over at Juni as she rolled her eyes.  "Duh.  You don’t?"
"Well I guess not.  It looked to me like someone used very poor judgment.  They probably left it that way to get a rise out of people."
"I don’t know Juni.  Who could do that to that poor deer?"
"The McCulloughs!  I keep telling you they are bad news.  Or some other stupid kids.  Kids can do some pretty horrible things sometimes.  That doesn’t make them monsters.  Besides, it’s over now.  I’m sure they’ve had their fun.  This will be the last we hear of something like this."
Within a few minutes they were at their house.  The Littles lived in a very secluded house, situated on seventeen acres of hilly woodlands.  It was Margo and Samuel’s dream home.  For years they had lived in the city.  Elbow to elbow with their neighbors.  They liked people.  They liked their neighbors.  They just preferred them at a distance.  Their closest neighbor was measured in miles.  Even their store was closer to their house than their closest neighbor.
Maggie climbed out of Juni’s Jeep in the driveway and opened the rear passenger door to grab her backpack out of the back seat.  Juni headed towards the porch ahead of his sister.  Maggie slammed the car door and headed in after her brother until suddenly she froze in her tracks.  Juni climbed the first few steps before he realized something was off.  The crunch of gravel under Maggie’s footsteps had stopped abruptly.  That was the thing about living in the middle of nowhere.  There were few sounds except those caused by their own movement so when they suddenly ceased it created a massive void in the normal background noise.
Juni turned to find his sister frozen slowly turning her head to look behind her, beyond the Jeep.
"Did you hear that?"
"No Maggie.  I didn’t hear anything."
"Something moved on the other side of your Jeep."
Juni walked back to his sister.  "There’s nothing out here.  It’s just your imagination."
"No!  I swear I heard something."
"Fine Maggie.  I’ll go take a look."
Juni headed around the back end of his Jeep.  Maggie stood frozen in her tracks unsure of her next move.  Juni swept the area hastily with skeptic eyes.  He continued around the other side of the vehicle stopping once to kneel and check under the carriage of his SUV.  Maggie listened intently to see if she could pick up the rustling sound again and in which direction.
Suddenly she heard it again and squealed as it headed quickly past Juni and towards her.
Juni jumped as well with the unexpected noise from behind him and subsequent squeal from his sister.  He quickly regained his composure and darted back around the end of his Jeep trying to follow the noise.  He finally caught a glimpse of the white powder puff tail of the jack rabbit as it cleared the hill top.
Juni shook his head in disgust and grabbed his sister as he headed back to the house.  "See.  You’re letting yourself get worked up over nothing."
Maggie quickly defended herself.  "Technically I did hear something."
"Come on.  Let’s get to work."

Juni and Maggie worked on her science project that afternoon at the house.  By the time their parents had closed up shop and made it home it was getting dusky.  Margo was too tired to cook, and Samuel made no move to pick up the slack in the kitchen, so they decided they would go out to dinner.  They lived just outside Gatlinburg in an unincorporated part of Sevier County.  Though the distance from their house to town could be measured on a GPS as just under four miles, the drive into town took almost fifteen minutes travelling the winding mountain highway 73.  No one ever complained about the additional time to get from point A to point B.  The drive relaxed both young and old, proving to smooth the edge off the most stressful days, and the littlest Little was in need of a little soothing that evening.
Maggie stared quietly out the window of her Dad’s SUV as it wound in and out of the turns.  Daylight was failing, especially in the thick shaded areas of the roadway.   Samuel turned on his headlights as they continued through the darkened passages of the Smoky Mountain foothills.
Maggie could feel the edge coming off as she stared into the dimly lit tree line.  Samuel slowed up a little as he pointed out a doe grazing on the side of the road ahead.  Deer were a common sight in those parts but Maggie always enjoyed seeing them.  They were such peaceful creatures.  The vehicle’s head beams caught the deer as they approached.  Samuel was always wary of deer near the road at dusk so he maintained his slower speed until they passed it.  Just before they had cleared the deer Margo’s cell ringer sounded.  Samuel and Margo both glanced down at the phone briefly lying in the center console diverting their eyes momentarily from the roadway.  In a split instant as the headlight beams swept passed the doe a shadowy figure leapt from the tree line tackling the deer before it could move.
Maggie barely caught the flash of the predator in the passing light as it pounced on its prey.  She screamed.
Samuel nearly jerked the car off the road, startled by Maggie’s reaction.
"Holy… Maggie!  Are you trying to cause an accident?"  Her dad was generally even tempered but her outburst rattled him, and he was tiring of her continued abnormal behavior.
"Dad!  Stop the car!  I saw it.  It was the beast!  He jumped out and killed that deer!"
"Oh for heaven’s sake Maggie.  Not with the beast again.  There is no beast.  There is no monster."
"Dad please.  Turn around.  You’ll see."
"Maggie.  You’re being ridiculous."
"But Dad.  I saw it.  I’m not making it up."
Margo touched Samuel on the arm and spoke under her breath.  "You realize she is going to be freaked out tonight worse than she was yesterday."
Samuel shook his head as he pulled off to the side of the road.  He turned a tight U and headed back towards the spot they had seen the deer.  Slowing down as they approached, he flipped on his high beams.  The deer was gone.
"Well whatever it was Maggie, it’s gone now."
"What if it was that monster again Dad?"
"Maggie, there are no monsters.  You have to trust me on this.  You may have seen a bear or a mountain lion but that’s it.  There’s nothing to worry about."
Maggie looked unconvinced by her father’s argument.  She saw something and it didn’t look like anything she had seen before.

The Littles returned home after dinner without incident, but the mysterious sighting had put Maggie back on edge losing any ground her family had gained in calming her down over the past twenty four hours.  With Juni’s help she had made significant progress on her science project, but she had a few remaining assignments she needed to work on, and she was unable to focus on any task.  Her mind kept wandering drawing vivid memories of the creature she believed she had seen.
After Juni had finished all of his homework he wandered down the hall to Maggie’s room to check on her.  She lay on her bed with her chin propped up on her elbows and her feet kicked back, swinging one leg down every few seconds only to bounce on the bed back to its starting position.  Her math homework sat next to her on the bed.
"So, do you need some help with your homework?  Whatcha got there?  Math?  I’m pretty good at math."
"No thanks."
Juni entered the room.  Maggie continued to stare into the corner.
"So, you seem a little distracted."
Maggie rolled over onto her side staring at her brother in disbelief.  "A little distracted?  How would you feel if you saw something, and your whole family just blew you off like you’re crazy?"
"Now come on Maggie.  Be fair.  We didn’t say you didn’t see something.  We just question what you believe you saw.  You probably did see a bear grab that deer.  That happens sometimes.  It’s a part of nature."
Maggie rolled her eyes.  "I know that animals eat other animals.  I’m not four."
"But doesn’t it stand to reason that you may have seen something perfectly normal and believable, and not some kind of monster?  Let me ask you one question and then I promise I will let it go."
Maggie looked suspiciously at her brother, wary that he was trying to set her up.
Juni took her silence as acceptance.  "Is it possible, no matter how remote, that what you saw could have been a regular old everyday run-of-the-mill bear or mountain lion?"
Maggie thought carefully for a few seconds considering her response.  Finally she sighed.  "I guess it could have just been a bear."
"And…"
"I guess it probably was just a bear."
Juni looked up at the black and white poster sized picture hanging on the wall.  He sat down next to Maggie on the bed and motioned towards the picture.  "Do you remember those bears we saw on the side of the road?"
"Yeah."
That picture was Maggie’s favorite of all the photographs her dad had ever taken.  That day the Littles had found themselves within a camera shot of the scene as they drove by.  Samuel carefully snapped several photos from inside the car while everyone kept an eye out for the momma bear.
Maggie smiled as she thought back about the cute little cubs.
Juni mussed his sister’s hair.  "Okay, so how about that math homework now?  Sure you don’t need any help?"
Maggie rolled back over on her stomach.  "Nah.  I’ve got it covered."
Juni got up to leave as Maggie pulled her homework over and began working the problems.  Juni turned back as he left the room taking one last look at the photo hanging on the wall and smiled.  He had fond memories of that day as well.

The next day, Tuesday, marked one week before the final day of classes for seniors at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School.  The following Saturday was graduation.  Juni had mixed feelings about graduating.  While he felt like he was ready to take on more responsibility he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.  He realized that his father’s insistence on him trying out the job at the chicken processing plant was a tactic to get him to realize the value of a college education, but he wanted to give it a try before making any big decisions about his future.
As Juni headed in from the parking lot towards the main building he spotted his friend Andrew, whose brother worked at Larson Poultry, getting out of his car.  He waited for him to catch up so he could probe him some more about the jobs available at the chicken packing plant.  Across the parking lot around the flag pole in front of the main entrance he noticed a big commotion brewing.  Andrew and Juni walked over to see what was at the center of all the activity.  They found Tim Merrick at the center of the mob showing off photos on his iPhone of a torn tree trunk.  The tree looked like a fairly mature pine but it was hard to tell from the photos on the small screen.  At first glance it looked like damage from a tornado but there had been no recent storms, and according to Tim that was the only tree damaged.  Other pictures showed the top of the tree lying several feet away from the mangled trunk.  The most fascinating image was a shot Tim took of the top part of the tree lying on the ground.  It showed the claw marks of a bear, at least they appeared to have been made by a bear until Tim flipped to the next photo where he had positioned his foot next to the marks giving the photo the required perspective.  The marks had to be almost two feet wide.  Juni knew black bear claws would get as wide as six or seven inches but nowhere near the size of the marks in the photos.
Juni rolled his eyes, not because he doubted the authenticity of the photos taken by Tim, but rather from the dread that his sister would eventually catch wind of it.  Gatlinburg was a small community.  News like that, if it could be considered news, got around quickly.  That definitely qualified for the local rumor mill.  Maggie would get word and be back to square one all over again with the monster talk.  He had no explanation for the claw marks and the twisted tree, but he assumed it would all come to light sooner or later that both were no more than part of an elaborate prank.
Juni peeled off first from the crowd with Andrew following close behind.
"So Juni, are you going to apply at Larson?"
"Yeah, actually, I think I am."
"Awesome!  Yeah, my older brother said they are looking to hire another seven or eight guys to fill in on the line."
"Cool.  Then I think I’ll drop by this afternoon to fill out an application."

That afternoon Juni drove out to Larson Poultry.  The plant was situated just on the outskirts of town opposite of Gatlinburg-Pittman High.  It was considerably larger than Juni had originally thought it would be, and the smell was as equally stunning.  He followed the signs in the parking lot directing him to Human Resources.
As impressive as the size of the mammoth operation was, the offices that housed the administrative team that kept things running smoothly were rather unimpressive.  Juni poked his head inside the door marked HR timidly at first until he got the feeling he was definitely in the right place.  Behind the reception desk sat a very beautiful young woman, Miss Amanda Pressman, a graduate one year removed from Gatlinburg-Pittman High School.  Juni remembered her as the most popular girl in her class.
He quietly approached her desk.  "Excuse me.  I’d like to fill out an application."
Amanda looked up from her computer screen and smiled.  She opened a drawer pulling out a few pages, slid them on top of a clipboard and handed it to Juni.   "Just fill out the first three sections, sign, and return it to me."
Juni took the clipboard, sat down in one of the two chairs in the reception area and filled out the form as instructed.  Every now and then he caught himself stealing glances at the pretty girl behind the desk.  He was sure it was Amanda Pressman.  He didn’t know her personally as she had run in the most elite circles, and she was a grade ahead of him.  She had long brown hair with a slight curl, beautiful brown eyes, and a smile that, when on display, made his knees give just a little.  At least once she caught him glancing her way, but he quickly diverted his attention so he couldn’t gauge her reaction to being checked out by the dork trying to get into the chicken business.
Soon enough he had filled it out to the best of his ability and he walked back to her desk handing it to her.
"Thanks Juni.  They typically go over these in a day or two and will give you a call to set up an interview."
Juni stood there like a dope.  He was flustered, caught off guard by the sound of his own name.  While she had just accepted a document from him where he had supplied his name it was highly unlikely she could have picked it off it so quickly, especially with a unique name like Juni.  He always got double takes from his teachers throughout his school career when they read his name for the first time.  His parents had come to the Smoky Mountains on their honeymoon and fell in love with the place.  They especially loved the lush green landscape and one of their favorite trees in the park was the Juniper, his given name.  Another was the Mountain Magnolia.  Maggie was short for Magnolia and not Margo as many assumed when connecting mother and daughter.  Despite all the baggage of having a unique name he actually grew to like his name for that very reason.  But at the moment he was feeling very self-conscious about his unique moniker and standing there mouth agape was not really helping.
"Oh, yeah.  Thanks.  I’ll see you around," was the panicked response he could finally muster.
As he walked out he went over what he had just said.  I’ll see you around?  What does that even mean?  How stupid.  Not that it mattered.  Amanda Pressman was the most attractive girl to ever come out of the Gatlinburg Pittman area.  He would never have a shot with her regardless of how smooth he acted around her.

Juni arrived at the store considerably later than normal.  He had told his parents he would be dropping by Larson to fill out an application after school, so they were not surprised or put off by his late arrival.
"So", his mom started.  "How did it go at Larson?"
"Fine.  I just filled out an application."
"Did they set up an interview?" his dad interjected from across the store.
"Not yet.  The receptionist said they would get back to me in a few days."  Juni looked around the store.  "Where’s Maggie?"
"She went over to a friend’s house in town."
"In town, huh?"
Margo could tell what Juni was alluding to with his subtle comment.
"Don’t read anything into it.  She has a friend in town."
"Has she ever gone over to this friend’s house before?"
"Well, no."
"Mom, we have to nip this in the bud.  You saw how scared she is.  She’s all worked up over this monster prank."
"Prank?"
Juni pulled off his backpack and set it down.  "Tim Merrick snapped a few pictures of a mangled tree out near his house.  It was a set up by someone.  The tree had these enormous claw marks on it.  It had to be some kids, probably the same ones who were messing around with that deer carcass."
Margo stood there quietly for a moment.  She was holding back something and Juni picked up on it quickly.
"What Mom?"
"There was another oddly mutilated deer found today.  One of the lady’s at the supermarket said it was found this morning.  She mentioned something about claw marks that looked bigger than normal."
"Where did they find it?"
Margo paused again.
Samuel walked up behind her.  "Where did they find it Margo?"
"Out on highway 73."
"Highway 73?  Where exactly on 73?"
She didn’t have to answer.  Juni knew exactly where on highway 73 the mangled deer was found, right where they saw it last.  Maggie was right.  There was something beyond the ordinary out there killing and mutilating the local fauna and it was big.
"Mom, we better go pick up Maggie before she catches wind of this."
"Maybe you’re right."
CHAPTER THREE

The lights flashed on the unattended phone on Tom Washburn’s cluttered desk.  He was the head of the three man investigative unit for the Sevier county sheriff’s department.  Tom walked into his office and hung his hat on a peg on the wall above his filing cabinet.  He glanced down at his phone with all its blinking lights.
"Tammy!" he called out of his office hoping for a response.
Tammy Reynolds, the department receptionist and dispatcher was not at her desk.  No one was on the floor at that moment.  He himself had just returned from a call out to Dan Longley’s farm off highway 73.
Reluctantly he picked up the receiver and punched the blinking light for line one.  "Sheriff’s office, Sheriff Washburn speaking."
Silence.
He glanced down at the phone.  The light for line one had gone out.
He punched the button for line two.  "Sheriff Washburn."
A woman’s voice answered that time.  "Yes, Sheriff Washburn.  My name is Erica Peters.  I live at 120 Shady Grove Lane.  Someone or something killed one of our horses."
"When did you first discover the dead animal?"
"A little after six this morning."
Washburn shook his head.  "Okay ma’am.  We’ll send someone out there to take a look."
Tammy walked in the front door with her lunch in hand.  She saw Sheriff Washburn in his office as he hung up the phone.  She quickly set her lunch down and walked to the open door of his office.
"Sorry Tom, I ran out real quick to grab my lunch out of my car.  The phones have just been going crazy all morning.  Doc and George are both out on calls about missing livestock.  We’ve also had several calls about mutilated deer."
"Tammy do me a favor."  Tom led her out of his office into the main floor of the investigative unit over to the bulletin board.  On the board hung a map of Sevier County.  "Go back through all of your call logs from the last four days.  I want you to stick a push pin on this map for all calls about mutilated animals or dead livestock or missing pets.  I’m heading out to 120 Shady Grove Lane to look into a dead horse."
Sheriff Washburn picked up a red push pin and pegged 120 Shady Grove Lane.
"A dead horse?  That’s a little big for a bear attack," Tammy said.
"Yep.  This is getting out of hand.  But I’m going to get to the bottom of this."

Juni sat in the reception area of the Larson Poultry Human Resources office.  He had gotten a call the day after he submitted his application to schedule his interview.  Amanda was nowhere to be seen.  The desk at reception sat empty.  When he arrived he sat down in one of the chairs in the waiting area.  He had arrived early but it was getting close to the time of his scheduled interview.  He didn’t want to be considered late but without someone at the reception desk he didn’t know how to announce himself.  So he sat patiently.
At one minute past the hour an older black woman stepped out of the back offices and walked over to Juni extending her hand.  "Hello, you must be Juni Little."
"Yes ma’am."  Juni shook the woman’s hand firmly.
"My name is Abby Freeman.  I’m the HR department" she said with a smile.  "Please follow me."
Juni followed Mrs. Freeman into her office.  The interview lasted a little over fifteen minutes.  At one point Mrs. Freeman asked if Juni had applied for college.  She was surprised to hear that he had been accepted to four different universities.
"You know Mr. Little that life on the lines of a poultry processing plant, though a good honest way to earn a living, is considerably different than one of a college graduate."
"Yes, ma’am.  My father thinks I could learn from the experience."
"I bet he does."
As he left Mrs. Freeman told Juni to expect a call in the next few days regarding their decision to hire him.
Juni walked out by the reception desk, disappointed to see the chair still empty.  Mrs. Freeman was following close behind.
"I see you have already met our receptionist, Miss Pressman."
Juni did not realize that Mrs. Freeman was following him nor that he had stared a little too long at her empty chair.
He blushed at the insinuation of her comment.
"Don’t be embarrassed Mr. Little.  She is a very pretty girl.  She tends to have that effect on many of the young men she encounters."
Juni smiled.  "Have a pleasant day ma’am."

Maggie sat behind the sales counter in the store staring blankly at her homework page.  She had been sitting like that all afternoon.  Her mom had tried to shake her out of it a few times, but she and Samuel were both busy that afternoon in the store.  They were very busy for a Wednesday afternoon outside of the tourist season.  The door chimes sounded one more time.  Margo spun around quickly putting on her best salesmanship smile only to find her son standing in the doorway.
Margo was relieved it wasn’t another customer.  Samuel was a little disappointed, given the roll they were on that afternoon.  He thrived when the store got busy, plus he managed all the finances and they always could use more money.  Maggie lit up for the first time all afternoon and ran to greet Juni with a big hug.
"Hey squirt."  He glanced up at his parents.  "Mom… Dad."
"Good afternoon Juni.  How did the interview go?" his mom asked.
"Good… I think.  They said I should hear from them in a few days."
Maggie clung to Juni’s waist.
"Take it easy squirt.  You’re going to break me in half."
Maggie looked up at her brother.  "Like that monster did to those poor deer."
Juni rolled his eyes.  "Maggie, how long are you going to keep talking about this silly monster of yours?"
"How long are the three of you going to pretend it doesn’t exist?"
Juni looked over at his mom.  They knew there was more to the attacks than just random kills by a black bear, but they couldn’t let on to Maggie or she would not be able to sleep at night.  She had heard all the stories the past few days of the numerous deer carcasses torn to shreds and mutilated nearly beyond recognition.  The most popular theory going was that they were all acts of juvenile delinquents in the area, but Maggie had seen a beast of some kind attack its victim, only for it to later show up as one of those kills.  Juni had been quick to buy into the juvenile delinquent theory at first, but he believed Maggie had seen something jump from the tree line, refuting the possibility it was the work of the McCullough's.  It had to be a rogue bear of some kind.  Maybe the huge claw marks were a setup by someone trying to play on the fears of the community.  They were the most puzzling piece of the mystery.  There was no way a bear could have left those marks, but until they were put into perspective, demonstrating their enormous size, that is precisely what they looked like.  And the tree had been twisted in half.  Juni couldn’t imagine how that could even be possible except by a tornado.

Sheriff Washburn returned to the sheriff’s office after confirming the kill of the horse on Shady Grove.  The scene had been as gruesome as any of the other deer mutilations found throughout the county that week, and it had the signature mammoth claw marks on its carcass.  He was convinced that it was the work of some juvenile malcontent.  He checked out the project he had assigned to Tammy before he headed out.  There had been seventeen sightings called in over a four day span.  Some of the kills had appeared older than others. All included, they likely covered a span of ten days or more since the killing spree started.  Killing deer, even mutilating them, was one thing, one that could be passed on to the game warden, but killing livestock was a completely different matter altogether.  Tammy had a numbered list of the killings on a sheet of paper on the bulletin board next to the map.  The seventeen push pins had been placed on the map.  The killings were spread all across the southern edge of the county with no discernible pattern.  It was time to interview his top suspects, the McCullough’s.  There was no evidence linking the boys to the series of attacks but their history mandated a visit.
Tom commanded a team of three investigators consisting of himself and his two deputies, Doc Rainey and George Valentine.  Both Doc and George had returned from their calls, so he took Doc with him to go pay the McCullough’s a visit.  The family was an odd one to say the least.  Their father worked odd jobs here and there but for the most part lived off whatever the government would pay for doing nothing.  The mother was a notorious alcoholic but was able to hold down a steady job at the Wal-Mart in Pigeon Forge for nearly twelve years.  The three boys were nothing but trouble.  The sheriff’s department had them on speed dial for all the shenanigans they constantly found themselves involved.  The eldest, Brian, was nineteen and had already spent time in county lock up.  The two younger boys were identical twins, Brock and Blaine.  From day one when the Littles had called in the first deer killing Tom had considered them a top suspect.  As the carcasses began piling up he became more and more certain of it.  The visit was well overdue.
The Sheriff pulled his squad car up slowly in front of the dilapidated single wide mobile home centered in the middle of the thirty-two acre plot that had been in the McCullough family for six generations.  The McCullough clan had been on the decline for the last three generations, but the latest had all but lost the family land due to numerous short sighted decisions.  At one time their land had encompassed two hundred and forty acres, but most of it had to be parceled off to keep the creditors and tax collectors at bay.
Doc followed Tom to the front steps keeping his distance as Tom rapped on the hollow door.  No one answered.
Again he rapped the butt of his Maglite against the door.  "Curtis!  You here?  I need to talk to you."
No one answered but they heard someone stirring in one end of the trailer home.
Tom motioned for Doc to get back in the cruiser.  Doc complied but wasn’t sure at first of his intentions.  Once he was in the car Tom waved him off.  Doc nodded, understanding what Tom was going for.  Tom hung close to the door but off to the side, out of view of the peep hole in the center of the door.  As Doc pulled off in the car Tom heard more stirring inside.  He watched the curtains in the front window as they moved slightly.  Tom stood still waiting to make his move.  Doc continued slowly down the drive leaving the property.  The curtain moved again as he saw Curtis McCullough’s nose poking between the two sheets of fabric.
He quickly reached over and tapped the window.  "Hey Curtis."
The man in the window jerked violently at the surprise, slamming the curtains closed.
"Curtis, are you going to be hospitable and open this door?"
Tom heard some more fumbling around inside.  Then the door knob turned.  Curtis cracked open the door.  His hair was disheveled and he looked like he had just been sleeping.
"Curtis, how are you doing this afternoon?"
"Fine Sheriff.  What can I do for you?"
"I’d like to talk to your boys Curtis.  Seems like there’s some extracurricular activity going on around the community and… well you know how your boys like to get mixed up in things sometimes."
"Well they ain’t here."
Sheriff Washburn sighed.  He turned and spit off the front porch, watching Doc pull back up in front of the trailer.  "Curtis, where might those boys be right now?"
"Don’t know?"
"Really?  Would you care to take a guess?"
"Maybe huntin’, maybe fishin’.  Hard to say."
"Well…" Tom spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words.  "The thing is there’s a considerable threat roaming around these parts."  Tom spit again off the front of the porch.  "And your boys better keep an eye out.  I’d hate to see them get mixed up in all what’s been goin’ on."
"Don’t worry ‘bout my boys Sheriff.  They can look out for themselves."
Tom put on his hat.  "I can’t argue with that I suppose.  Just the same, you give me a call next time you see those boys."
Curtis McCullough grunted his response and closed the door.  Tom turned and made his way down the steps.
Doc stood in the open door of the cruiser.  "So?"
"Let’s go.  They’ll be back.  Maybe if they think we’re onto them they’ll take a break from their recent activities."

Maggie and her mom sat at the kitchen table playing Scrabble Junior.  Juni had relieved his mom at the store so she could get home and cook a hot meal.  The plump Larson chicken was roasting in the oven, so the two girls had some free time to kill.  Maggie was into her sixth minute of her last turn when the phone rang.
Margo grabbed it on the second ring.  "Hello… Yes this is his mother… No, he’s not here right now… Can I take a name and number?"  She dug in the closest kitchen drawer pulling out a scratch pad and a pen.  "Ok."  She jotted down the name and number given by the person on the other end.  "Ok.  Thank you… You too."
As soon as Margo hung up Maggie was all over her, wanting details.  To Maggie, it sure sounded like Larson Poultry was calling about the job for Juni.  That job would mean Juni would be around all summer and likely for another school year going to the local community college at night.  The drawback was that he would have little free time, but she liked to focus on the positive.
"Mom, was that for Juni?  Did he get the job?  Oh, I bet he did get it.  Why wouldn’t he unless they are totally stupid.  But I bet they’re not stupid and they gave him the job.  Do you think they’re going to give him the job, Mom?"
Margo watched her daughter ramble on until she paused.  "I don’t want to speculate.  We’ll see.  I’m sure it will all work out for the best."
Maggie thought for a minute.  "Mom, do you think Juni will move away one day."
Margo continued studying her tiles and the board.  "I don’t know Maggie.  He’s going to move out of the house, as will you when you get older.  But who knows, he may stick around."
"Yeah.  I bet he doesn’t move away too far.  He’d miss us too much."
Margo looked at her watch.  "We need to put this game away.  Dad and Juni will be home soon."
"Okay, but that means you give up and I win."
"Can’t we call it a tie?"
"Nope.  Every game has to have a winner and a loser."
"So I’m the loser!?"
"Sorry mom, that’s just the way it is."
"Okay, well then, the winner needs to pick up the game while the loser finishes cooking dinner."
Maggie thought about it for a second.  "Hmmm.  Okay.  Fair enough."

Darkness settled in around half past eight in late spring in eastern Tennessee.  The Little’s home was on highway 73, a small two lane mountain road that ran along the north edge of the national park.  Their closest neighbor was nearly two miles down the road heading away from Gatlinburg.  Mrs. Finn was an older woman, very kind, and would often drop by with some extra cookies from a batch she had just made.  She had been widowed seven years back when her husband died after a heart attack.  Margo suspected that the entire cookie batches were making their way down to the Little household.  She was lonely.  No one minded the visits, especially not Maggie who was a cookie hound, easily plowing through four in a single sitting.
The old woman stood in front of her kitchen sink finishing up the few dishes she had used from dinner that evening.  She stared out into the black night.  The sky wasn’t totally dark yet but the thick trees surrounding her house kept any of the remaining trails of light at bay.  Her dog, Bessie, an aging golden lab, was barking with an unrelenting fervor outside.  She would often corner a raccoon or opossum in the early evening hours and carry on until the creature made its escape.  Mrs. Finn didn’t mind the barking.  The nearest neighbors were the Littles, and Bessie’s barking wouldn’t bother them if they could even faintly hear it.  It comforted Mrs. Finn, gave her a sense of security.  But that night Bessie seemed more amped up than usual throwing in a low growl every now and then between the constant barking.
Mrs. Finn poked her head out the back door to see what was riling up her dog so much.  "Bessie, what on earth are you barking at?"
The barking continued.  If Bessie weren’t engaged in defending their property from the varmints that typically plagued them she would answer Mrs. Finn’s call with a personal greeting at the door.  Conceding Bessie’s intent on defending the perimeter, Mrs. Finn returned to the kitchen sink to dry the last few dishes.  She had a fresh batch of cookies in the oven ready to come out in a few minutes.  Bessie’s barking became even more excited and the growling grew from stern to fierce.  She sounded like she might have actually got a hold of the critter she had cornered.  That had happened on a couple of occasions before, both times leading to a visit to the vet to treat her for bites and scratches.  Finally the barking stopped.
Mrs. Finn walked out onto the back stoop.  "Bessie?  Did you chase it off?"
She expected to see a wagging tail emerge from the dark corner of her yard but it never came.  "Bessie?" she called again.
This was highly unusual she thought.  Bessie always came when called if she wasn’t actively engaged.  Mrs. Finn called again.  "Bessie…come here girl."
Still nothing.
She stepped back inside.  The cookies were ready to pull out of the oven.  She turned off the oven and set the cookies on a hot pad on the kitchen counter, then grabbed the emergency flashlight off the side of the refrigerator and checked to see if it turned on.  It did.  She flipped on the flood lights and headed back outside.
"Bessie?" She whistled a few times like her husband had taught her years ago.  "Bessie, come here girl.  Where are you?"
Though she was acting very brave venturing into the shadows, Mrs. Finn was clearly on edge.  That was not normal behavior for a dog she had known for over twelve years.  "Bessie, now come on!  You show your face or you’re gonna get it, scaring a poor old woman like this."
She paused for a moment to listen to the quiet.  She heard a rustling sound from the back corner of her yard.  The old woman swept the beam of light across that darkened corner where the wilderness ended and her manicured lawn began.  The sound was coming from off her property.  They had never raised a fence around their property, even with the dog.  Bessie might wander off during the day at times but never too far and never after dark.
Mrs. Finn continued to the edge of her property shining her flashlight into the dark wooded area towards the noise she had heard.  She paused again to reset her bearings.  She listened intently for the rustling sound only to be met with silence.  "Bessie?"
There it was again, at least forty feet out into the thick.  She again pointed the flashlight towards the source of the noise but could see nothing.  Though she kept sweeping the light back and forth she couldn’t spot the source of the noise, and the noise itself seemed to have disappeared.  Confused and concerned she lowered the flashlight.  From off to the side twenty feet or so from where she had been concentrating her search she heard a limb crack as someone or something was moving through the thickly wooded underbrush.  She flashed her light in that direction.
A car passed by on the road in front of the house about forty yards from where she stood.  She glanced in that direction to see the beams from the headlights as they passed by.  Behind her another twig snapped, but much closer.  Startled, she turned quickly raising the flashlight, finally catching the source of the noise.  But it was moving on two legs, not four.
She screamed.
Blood poured from the forehead of the frightened man who tumbled towards Mrs. Finn.  He stumbled but picked himself back up quickly heading directly at the old woman with a crazed look in his eyes.
He shouted at her.  "Quick.  We need to get inside."
His shirt was ripped.  His blue jeans were covered by dirt and grime.  Mrs. Finn stood there with her mouth agape.  The young man grabbed her by the shoulders spinning her around and forcing her towards the house.  She tried to resist but the man was too strong.  She hurriedly stepped along with him to keep from falling.  He kept looking over his shoulder nervously to see if something was following him.  Within a few seconds they were inside.
Mrs. Finn caught her breath.  "Who are you, and where did you come from?"
The young man was shaken.  The wound on his head was superficial, caused by a branch that had caught him just above his right eye as he ran through the woods.  "I’m sorry."  He slowed his breathing.  "My name is Brian.  I was camping up on the ridge with my two brothers.  It came out of nowhere.  I was out gathering firewood when it happened.  Blaine and Brock were sitting around the campfire and this…thing came out of the tree line and grabbed my brother Blaine.  It tore him right in half in like he was nothin’.  My brother Brock took off running.  I started to move towards the campsite.  Then I saw him lying on the ground, just his legs.  I think it was his legs.  I saw his tennis shoes.  I wasn’t sure what did that to Blaine but I didn’t stick around to find out.  I never found Brock.  I thought that maybe your dog was barking at him so I ran this way."
"Oh my!  Sit down."  Mrs. Finn grabbed a kitchen towel and dampened it.  She pressed it on his forehead.  "Sit here and hold this.  I’m calling the Sheriff."
Brian sat on the old living room sofa holding the damp towel to his forehead as instructed.  He listened to the old woman talk on the phone.
"I don’t know.  He said his name is Brian… His brother Blaine was attacked… Yes, he did mention his other brother’s name is Brock… Who?  I don’t know.  Do you want me to ask?  Okay, hold on."
Mrs. Finn walked back into the living room.  "Brian, the Sheriff wants to talk to you."
Brian walked into the kitchen and took the phone from Mrs. Finn.  "Yes sir?"
Sheriff Washburn answered on the other end of the line.  "Brian, this has gone too far if this is another one of you and your brothers’ pranks."
"It’s not a prank, Sheriff.  I swear."
"Tell Mrs. Finn that I’m heading over there right now.  Don’t you go runnin’ off."
"Yes sir.  I’ll stay put."

The Sheriff arrived within twenty minutes of the call.  Brian was in shock.  He sat quietly listening to the Sheriff as he interrogated him about what happened.  Tom tried to trip him up on his story several times, but it stood solid.  He didn’t get a good look at the beast.  He described it as big and dark in color.  He explained his brother Brock would better be able to describe it once they found him as he was sitting right next to Blaine when it attacked.  Of course he had no idea where his brother was.  For all the consistency he maintained in his story, it still smelled of an elaborate McCullough prank.  The sheriff offered the boy a ride back home, his ulterior motive being to check Brian’s story with that of his parents and see if he could ascertain the whereabouts of either of his brothers.
Sheriff Washburn pulled up to the dark lifeless trailer he had visited a day earlier.  He laid on his horn briefly as Brian made his way up the front steps.  A light on one end of the singlewide flicked on.  Brian beat on the door.  He had remained composed on the drive over but his emotions had since begun to spill out as nervous energy.
"Come on pop!  Open up!  Brock’s gone and Blaine…he’s…" He pounded again on the door.  "Hurry up pop!"  Brian slumped up against the door.
Tom could hear muffled sobbing.  It looked too real.  The boys had been known for their pranks before, always paying attention to detail but not enough where they stood up to a lot of scrutiny, and none were ambitious enough to include faking someone’s death.
Another lamp lit in the center of the home followed by the porch lights.  A half minute stretched to two before a bewildered Curtis McCullough opened the door.
"What the hell is going on out here?  Brian?  Where are your brothers?"
Brian leaned forward and grabbed his dad around the neck.  Curtis peeled him off.  "Boy, tell me what is going on!"
"I don’t know for sure pop.  Blaine got attacked by something.  I didn’t get a good look at it but it was big, real big.  It tore him in half.  He’s dead pop.  Blaine is dead."
Curtis knew as well as the rest of the community that honesty was not the strong suit of his progeny, but he recognized the look in his eldest son’s eye.  It was an earnest look of distress.  The tears were real.  He took his son back in his arms.
Tom had seen enough.  He walked back over to his open car door and reached in for the radio.
"Amber?"  Tom waited for a response.  "Amber, can you pick up?"
A young woman’s voice replied.  "What’s up Sheriff?"
"Amber, can you call up Doc and George.  Also get me Jim Addison.  I want all his men up as well.  Let’em know we’ve got a missing boy we need to find tonight.  I’m heading back over to Mrs. Finn’s house.  I’ll coordinate the search from there."

By ten o’clock Tom had mobilized his team of investigators plus Jim Addison’s eight man patrol unit.  They swept the entire woods that evening but never found either boy.  They did find one bloody shoe close to the abandoned camp sight of the McCullough boys.  It didn’t look good.  Satisfied that they had covered the area as best they could in the dark Tom called off the search until daybreak.
All they had was one bloody shoe and the hope that it was from the remains of Blaine McCullough and not his fleeing brother.
CHAPTER FOUR

Juni had an extra spring in his step Saturday morning.  It was a beautiful spring day outside, and he invited his younger sister out for a morning hike.  Normally those hikes were initiated by the younger Little but given all that had happened over the past week she was more than skittish on the idea of heading out into the woods, but her brother was persuasive, and she did love going on their walks.  Juni’s high spirits were attributable to the call his mom had taken from Larson Poultry Friday night.  They had called to see when he could come in for orientation.  The turnaround was much quicker than Juni had expected.  He had been confident that he would get the job, but knowing he had it in his pocket still relieved the bit of anxiety that accompanied that kind of thing.
They headed out right after breakfast.  Two trails ran close to their house.  One was considerably longer and less often travelled.  Maggie always pleaded to go on that trail because it meant a longer walk with her brother, but only rarely would Juni give in.  Once on the trail Maggie’s inhibitions melted into the piney forest that surrounded them and she began her usual plea to pick the longer path.  To her surprise Juni gave no resistance at all and just headed up the trail.
"Seriously?  Are you sure?"  Maggie’s doubts began resurfacing.  She had fallen automatically into her typical pattern of begging to take the longer trail without considering her apprehension.
"Come on Maggie.  It’ll be fine."
Maggie hesitated.
"Look, you’re the one who always wants to go this way."
Juni held out his hand.  He always made Maggie feel safe.  She grabbed his hand and they headed down the three mile trail that looped down near Mrs. Finn’s house and then back to theirs.
"So Mom said you got the job."
"Yep.  I go to orientation Tuesday.  And they said I could start my first shift as early as Thursday."
"What about school?"
"I’m done with school after Tuesday.  All seniors get out early while you kids have to finish out the week."
"That’s not fair."
"Too bad squirt.  Besides, you only have to go till Friday.  Then you’ll have your whole summer while I have to work.  You don’t know how good you’ve got it."
"Yeah, I suppose so."
"But it’s gonna be boring at home with you gone all day."
"You think?  What about that friend you have in town?"
"Sarah?  She’s nice.  We kind of have the same interests."
Juni turned away briefly to shield a grin.  "The same interests?  What interests in particular?"
"Well, we both like playing dress up.  And we both hate playing with Barbies."
"What?"  Juni exclaimed in shock.  "No Barbies?  Since when?"
"Duh!  Since I was five.  Do you even know me?"
"Sorry.  I guess I haven’t paid that much attention to your Barbie habits lately."
Maggie decided to let it go.  "Anyway... and we both want a horse."
"Well, she sounds very compatible."
"Don’t mock me, Juni"
"I’m not mocking you.  You two sound like you should get along great."
"Yes, I suppose so.  But…"
"But what?"
"Well, she has no interest in nature hikes."
"Oh, I see.  Well I wouldn’t hold that against her too much."
"I suppose I could overlook it."
"Besides, the nature walks are kinda our thing."
Maggie looked up at her big brother with a big smile for just a moment before she felt it begin to quiver just a bit.  She grabbed her brother’s hand as they continued down the path.  Juni started to add to the thought, but with the slight lump in his throat he decided enough had been said.  Maggie never realized that he enjoyed their walks just as much as she did.

Margo and Sam were finishing getting ready to head into the shop.  Saturday’s were big days for them.  The weekend travelers comprised the majority of their sales during the non-summer months.  Sam always liked to get there a little earlier on Saturdays to make sure everything was in order for the day.
The phone rang.  Margo picked up.
"Margo?" the familiar elderly voice asked through the receiver.
"Good morning Mrs. Finn."
"Are you all okay down there?"
"Of course we are.  Why wouldn’t we be?"
"I don’t know.  Well, with all the commotion I didn’t know if you had been caught up in it."
"Commotion?"
"Oh, my.  I knew I should have called you last night.  It was the most frightening thing.  It was one of the McCullough boys.  He came running up to my back door last night with some crazy story.  Said one of his brothers was killed and the other one ran off.  Sheriff Washburn was out half the night searching these woods for the one that went missing."
"Killed?  What do you mean?"
"Well he said some creature came out of the dark and tore him in two.  It was awful."
"And the sheriff believed him."
"Yes, and I think I believed him too.  You should have seen the look in his eye.  He was as scared as they come."
"This is all news to us.  We hadn’t heard a thing about all this."
Sam yelled from the front of the house.  "Margo, we need to get going."
Margo covered the receiver.  "Just a minute, Hon."  She took her hand from the mouthpiece.  "Mrs. Finn, thanks for calling but Sam and I have to head in to the store."
"Okay, Margo.  You let the kids know.  I don’t want anything happening to those precious Littles of yours."
"Okay, thanks again.  Bye-bye."
Sam stood impatiently in the doorway of the bedroom.  "Come on Margo.  It’s Saturday.  You know we’ve got to get up there."
"I know, I know.  Do you know where the kids are?"
"No, I think they may have gone for a walk."
Margo stopped moving.  She didn’t want to get overly upset over the warning of the little old woman.  Mrs. Finn had been known to blow things out of proportion on occasion, but with all the weird things going on the past week with the mutilated game animals she didn’t like the idea of the kids out on the trails.  No matter how much Mrs. Finn tended to exaggerate things she tended to get the basic facts straight.  Those facts were that the thing in the woods had killed a person.  That meant it could do it again.
"What?" Samuel asked.  "What is it?"
"That was Mrs. Finn.  She said something killed a boy in the woods last night.  The Sheriff’s department was out searching the woods half the night.  Sam, we have to find the kids."
"Are you sure?  It killed a kid?"
"One of the McCullough boys."
"Oh come on now.  One of the McCullough kids?  You know those kids are just pulling a prank."
"Do you think the Sheriff would have run a search party half the night if they thought it might be a prank?"
Sam thought for a second.  His inner conflict and concern about getting to the store on time gave way to the realization that the kids could be in trouble.
"Okay, the store can wait.  I’ll grab my shotgun."
"You better grab your deer rifle.  I don’t think you want to get close enough to this thing to use your shotgun."
"We’ll take both."

Doc Rainey squatted near the ashes of the campfire.  Blood was splattered on the ground in a pattern that suggested a swinging blow was made.  There was no body, not even the other shoe.  There was a second spot where blood had pooled on the ground and soaked into the earth.  Based on Brian’s recounting of the event it was consistent with where he saw his brother’s lower torso.  There was a trail left behind from the campsite heading southeast, another heading northeast.  A third trail was found heading south towards Mrs. Finn’s property originating from where Brian dropped the stack of branches.  Based on the details given by Brian, Doc sent a few men down the trail heading southeast to see if it led to Brock McCullough.
Sheriff Washburn approached from the north side of the campsite.  "So, what do you make of all this?"
"Looks to be genuine.  The kill happened right here.  Part of the body landed over there by the tree line.  Part of him might have landed over here but there’s not as much blood, so it wasn’t there long."
"Any ideas on what could have done this?"
Doc looked at Tom.  "Your guess is as good as mine.  The Boogey man?  Without a body it’s difficult."
"Any chance our surviving sibling could have pulled this off."
"What would be the motive?"
"I’ll worry about motive.  Could it have been done by Brian?"
Doc rubbed his chin.  "From the physical evidence here it would be hard to say.  It’s hard to complete the picture without the body.  I sent samples of the blood off to the lab, from the shoe and from this scene.  We’ll see if they’re a match with each other and if they belong to the boy.  Everything I see at this scene correlates to what the boy told you.  If those two tests are positive and this is not a prank then honestly I think we have a rogue animal on the loose."
Sheriff Washburn moved his chaw from one cheek to the other and spit off to the side of the campsite.  He’d spit in the middle of one of Doc’s crime scenes before and got an earful for doing so, so he was careful not to mix his saliva in with the rest of the evidence being gathered.  "So, bear?"
"Possibly, but it’s bigger than any bear I’ve seen."
"How big?"
"I’d say at least ten, twelve feet tall on its haunches."
"Grizzlies don’t get that big."
"Yep. And you and I both know we don’t have grizzlies in these parts."
"That’s twice the size of the biggest black bear I’ve ever seen."
"Yep."
Tom leaned off to the side and spit again.  "Let’s find the other boy.  Maybe then we can get some answers."

About two and a half miles into their walk, Juni ran ahead of Maggie when she wasn’t paying attention and hid behind a thick tree next to the path.  Maggie was known for constantly trying to pull the same trick on her brother.  She would laugh until she nearly fell over if she could pull it off, especially if Juni got turned around which way she went.  She wasn’t as fast as Juni, but she was almost as quick.  She always argued there was a distinct difference between the two and she had a point to her argument.  As small as she was, one quick move was enough to put her out of sight.  But she did not possess great stealth, kicking up leaves as she ran followed by quiet giggling until she was discovered.
At first his disappearance was just the beginning of another game, but as she stared around the empty woods she spooked herself recalling all the terrible things she had seen recently.  She slowly ascended the hill that Juni had quickly crested, looking cautiously to the left and right of the trail for any clues.  She noticed a shoe sticking out partially from behind a tree off the path ten feet or so to the left of the trail.  As she moved closer towards the tree slowly she prepared herself for the jack-in-the-box surprise moment usually associated with these antics.  The key was to breathe slowly and calmly, to deny Juni the satisfaction of giving her a scare when he leapt out from his hiding place.  Juni watched her slowly approach the wrong tree from his hiding spot on the opposite side of the trail, wondering what had drawn her over there.

Deputy George Valentine walked the edge of the search line covering the right flank of his search team.  They had been at it all morning since first light and had found nothing when they heard the shrill scream from over the hill fifty yards west of them.   The four men scrambled up the hill.  On the other side at the bottom of the hill stood the little girl, burying her head into her brother’s mid-section.  At her feet laid the twisted and broken body of a teenage boy.  The men quickly but carefully descended the steep embankment to where the two Littles stood clutching each other.
George was the last to make it down but the first three officers held back to let him do his job.  It didn’t take long for him to ID the body.  The McCullough kids were known by face by all the local law enforcement.  Brock had escaped the attack of the creature that killed his brother, but from appearances it looked like he topped the hill too quickly, lost his footing and caught the side of his head on something that didn’t give on his way down.  The way he was contorted it looked like he might have snapped his spine as well.
George led the kids away from the body.  "What are you kids doing out here?"
"We were on a hike" Juni answered.
"Well, you two need to head back from where you came.  This is a sheriff's department matter.  We need to keep this area clear for our investigation."
"Do you think someone killed him?" Maggie asked peeking out from under Juni’s arm.
"Y’all run along."  George signaled to one of the other officers.  "Take these kids back down this path.  I want this area kept clear of any onlookers."
"Juni?  Maggie?"  A familiar voice carried over the hill.
Juni called back.  "Mom?"
Sam and Margo appeared over the hill on the trail.  Maggie ran towards her Mom as soon as she saw her.   She buried her head in her mom’s embrace.
Sam looked at Juni with an inquisitive look seeing their two children surrounded by members of the sheriff’s department.  He patted Maggie on the head and gave her a kiss before heading over to Juni.  His eye caught the leg of Brock’s body lying on the ground.   "What happened here?"
Juni looked over at Deputy Valentine who seemed perturbed that more people were encroaching on his crime scene.  He grabbed his Dad’s arm and nudged him away from the body.  He lowered his voice keeping an eye on his sister to make sure she was out of earshot.  "We don’t know.  They aren’t saying yet.  But they want to keep the area clear."
"Was that just the bottom half?" Sam quietly inquired.
"The bottom half?" Juni asked, confused by the question.  "What are you talking about?"
"Mrs. Finn called your mom this morning.  Said one of the McCullough boys was attacked by something.  She said the thing tore the boy in half."
"That’s sick Dad!  You know how Mrs. Finn exaggerates.  No!  He’s in one piece.  Looks like his head is bashed in and maybe he broke his leg."
"So was it the McCullough kid?"
"Yeah, either Blaine or Brock.  I could never tell them apart."
"Are you okay?  I know that can be pretty upsetting to see something like that."
"Yeah, I’ll be okay.  I’m more worried about Maggie."
"Okay, come on.  Let’s get you guys home."
"So Dad, why are you guys here?  Shouldn’t you be at the store?"
"Based on what Mrs. Finn said we thought it might not be safe out here."
"She’s just overreacting.  There’s nothing to be afraid of out here."
"Just the same we better get you back home."

Juni drove his sister over to pick Sarah up to come over and play at their house.  Maggie rarely had friends over to her house.  Most of her friends found that the lack of hi-tech toys at the Little household made it a little harder to entertain themselves.  Maggie didn’t miss it.  She loved living in the middle of the woods and required little more than a good sturdy walking stick and the great outdoors to keep her entertained.  Somehow she had convinced Sarah to come over.  At one point they did get a little bored when Sarah came up with the great idea that they could dig out all of Maggie’s old Barbie collection and pretend that they were little kids and make the dolls act silly.  That would give them a big laugh.  But within minutes it was all business, with a fully developed soap opera plot unfolding in Maggie’s bedroom.
Juni had finals to study for so he kept to his own room.  He was knee deep in chemistry when he heard a faint dog bark in the distance.  The sound was definitely out of place and despite it barely being audible, it caught his attention.  He rolled off his bed and headed towards the back door.  Again he heard the bark.  He couldn’t see anything in the back yard but it did sound a bit further off so he wandered outside to get a better look.  The dog sounded off again.  That time the barks came in pairs, several pairs, allowing Juni to zero in on their location to the northwest.  A light breeze gusted briefly rustling the tall grass on the eastern edge of their property line drawing Juni’s attention.  The barking had stopped.
Juni surveyed the quiet landscape but saw nothing.  Another breeze kicked up and set off his mom’s wind chimes on the east corner of the house.  Suddenly he heard something moving just beyond the creek bed that ran along the back edge of their yard.  It paused every now and then but he could hear it getting closer and closer.  Juni edged himself closer to the dry creek bed trying to track the exact origin of the sound he was hearing.  He hung behind the edge of a tree as he peeked around to catch a glimpse of the animal.  Just across the bank he saw a full grown black bear standing on its back haunches.  The breeze was blowing from behind the animal so it had not picked up his scent yet nor seen Juni behind the tree.  Juni had seen plenty of bears in his days but that was the closest he’d ever been.  The bear was distracted, foraging for some wild plums growing just behind the Little’s property.
Juni began to slowly and quietly back away.  He knew not to run and to never turn his back to a bear, even one who hadn’t caught a glimpse of him yet.  Juni preferred it that way for the moment.  As he continued backwards across their yard he suddenly felt a warm breath on the back of his calf.  Before he could turn to investigate a loud bark sounded, sending him up in the air before falling backwards.  It was Bessie, Mrs. Finn’s dog.  She definitely had the scent of the bear and had come to investigate.  Any hope of silently slipping back into the house without being noticed disappeared as Bessie began a relentless stream of barking.  The bear rose up fully on his hind legs and returned its own barrage of roars.  Bessie retreated, advanced and retreated again but more or less held her ground.  In less than a minute the bear decided the wild plums were not worth the hassle of dealing with the stubborn golden retriever and headed off.
Juni grabbed Bessie’s collar to keep her from chasing after the Little’s departing visitor.  She continued barking for another minute or two as Juni watched the bear until it was out of sight.
"Alright Bessie, she’s gone now."  Juni squatted and gave the dog a good scratch behind the ears.  "C’mon, let’s go call Mrs. Finn.  I bet she’s wondering where you are.  You shouldn’t run off like that."
Juni led Bessie by the collar to the back door.  She stopped to growl one more time for good measure, but he was able to get her inside without incident.  Out beyond the tree line something stirred quietly in the woods.  It had been on a path towards the Little’s backyard but reversed course after the back door slammed shut and it lost the scent.  It moved relatively quietly.  Only the rustling tree tops gave away its position as it moved through the thickly wooded forest of the Smoky Mountains.
CHAPTER FIVE

Tom Washburn darted around the final few pieces of furniture in his den racing to pick up the phone that had already rung several times in his kitchen.  He heard it from the back of his house where he had dozed off while reading the paper, and didn’t think he’d gotten to it in time.
A longtime friend of his, Elgin Peters from Knoxville spoke to him when he answered.  "Tom, I didn’t think you were gonna answer.  Did you fall asleep reading the paper?"
Tom protested.  "I wasn’t asleep.  What can I do for you Elgin?"
"Tom, I heard a strange rumor… something about a giant bear or some other nuisance going on in your neck of the woods."
"Yeah, I suppose you might have heard something about that."
"Well… is there anything to it, Tom?  You know I got a bus full of Cub Scouts ready to load up and head your way in ten days.  I need to know everything is okay down there."
"Oh, well.  I can’t say there ain’t nothing to it.  Couple of boys got themselves killed by a bear or something in the woods.  But these boys had a knack for getting into trouble.  I’m heading out tomorrow to track this animal down, and put it down.  There will be no issue.  You start packing.  Maybe I'll have a nice souvenir for you and the boys to see when you get here."
"I don't know Tom.  You've always been a lousy shot with a deer rifle.  Maybe you should feed it some of your campfire stew.  Or would that be considered cruelty to animals."
"What are you saying?  I thought you loved my stew."
"Love is a strong word."
"That's the last time I'm cooking for you, Elgin.  Tell the boys you ruined it for everyone."
"Tell you what.  You kill the bear and I'll cook it."
"Deal.  Make sure you show up hungry."

Juni adjusted his tie in front of the mirror.  His mom walked by the bathroom and saw him standing there checking out his hair.  She grinned with pride.  Her son would soon be walking across the stage accepting his diploma.  He was growing up into a well-balanced, responsible young man.  Knowing that he had taken the job at Larson Chicken made the transition a little easier on her.  She wanted him to spread his wings and take on the world, but she would miss him as much as anyone else when he did finally leave the nurturing comfort of his parent’s home.  But those were all thoughts for another day, she told herself.  Her son's graduation day was a day to celebrate.
A lot had happened the week leading up to that auspicious day, enough to cast a dreary mood on the event.  The deaths of the two McCullough boys were enough to dampen the spirits of the tight knit community despite the fact they were in no way Sevier County’s favored sons.  The mysterious nature of both deaths did not help; one boy, as town lore described, torn into shreds, while the other struck dead from sheer terror.  There was definitely an undercurrent of fear running through the community.  The prevailing theory surrounding the strange animal mutilations throughout the county had pointed the finger at the very victims of the last attacks, notably the first human victims.  Absent the logical explanation, rational thinking was on its last legs giving way to wild speculation, though none of the theories explained all the phenomena.
The Littles held onto the fragments of information they had put together after talking to Mrs. Finn and discovering the body of Brock.  Margo had been convinced by Juni and Samuel that Mrs. Finn had confused her facts. Their incomplete story was much easier to swallow than the grim details Juni learned at school on Monday.  As upsetting as it was to stumble across the dead body, Juni was grateful it hadn’t been the boy that had been mutilated by the man-eating creature roaming the forests of the Smoky Mountains.  The town of Gatlinburg was definitely on edge.  And so was Maggie Little.
"C’mon Maggie", Margo yelled towards the back of the house.
Juni poked his head in the doorway of his mom and dad’s bedroom.  "Mom, you guys don’t have to be there so soon.  I’m heading up there now but the ceremony doesn’t start for another hour and a half."
Margo sighed.  "Regardless, I want to get a good seat."
"Okay, I’ll see you guys after the ceremony."
Margo set down the earring she was trying to get into her ear for the last minute and walked over to her son.  She had that tenuous look on her face with a smile that looked as though it could give way any minute to tears.
As her eyes began to well up Juni cut her off.  "Mom, I have to go.  I don’t want to be late."
She patted him on his chest after straightening up his tie.  "Okay honey.  We’ll see you afterwards."
Juni made his way down the stairs and towards the front door when his eye caught Maggie sitting at the dining room table staring out the window.  "Hey squirt.  Are you ready?"
Maggie sat silently in the chair with her chin on her arms folded on top of the table swinging her legs back and forth under her seat.
"Maggie.  Mom wants you to get ready.  You don’t want to miss my big day do you?"
Maggie turned to her brother.  Her eyes were watery and her face was red from crying.
Juni rolled his eyes.  "Not you too."  He walked over to his sister and put his arm around her.  "It’s no big deal Maggie.  I’m not going anywhere, you know that."
Maggie wiped her cheek.  "It’s not that Juni.  I’m scared.  It’s not safe here anymore.  We can’t go on our walks.  Things are changing."
"Maggie, they are going to find whatever is out there and take care of it.  Before you know it things will be back just the way they were, walks and all.  You just have to trust me."
"You think?"
"Absolutely.  And I’ll always keep you safe, you know that."
Maggie smiled.  That was one thing she could always count on from her big brother.  She always felt safe when he was around.
"Okay, so go finish getting ready.  I’ve got to be there early so I’ll see you after graduation."
"Okay." Maggie gave her brother a big hug and ran upstairs.
Juni stared out the window for a second pondering the mysterious creature running wild, terrorizing his little sister and their tiny little community.  He stared blankly out at the tree line on the edge of their property before he snapped out of his trance, glanced down at his watch, and hurried out the front door.

Tom Washburn knelt down to investigate the broken limbs hanging loosely from a small sapling.  The tree itself looked as if it had been bent all the way over to the ground.  The ground was dry and hard under the bed of fallen pine needles so there were no paw prints left behind.  He used the butt of his hunting rifle on the compacted earth to help stand up.  He wasn’t a young man, nor was he lean in build, but he was accustomed to that kind of physical activity.  He had been on the trail of the animal for several miles.
He was out of uniform being that it was his day off.  The lines were blurred as to whether or not it was sheriff’s office business given the prevailing theory of the man-eating bear, but regardless he was compelled to spend his Saturday afternoon on the hunt for the mysterious creature terrorizing Sevier County.  Tom was not an avid hunter, he preferred fishing, but having grown up in that part of the country he knew his way around the .30-30 he carried with him.  His tracking skills mostly came from his years of police work.  The animal left a very noticeable trail, snapping twigs and branches on a fairly wide swath through the heavily wooded foothills.
He crested the next hill where he paused to assess the trail.  He could see it as it progressed for the next forty yards down towards a small ravine.  He sat down with his back against a thick oak tree setting his rifle down next to him.  He checked his watch and then glanced up through the canopy to get his bearings.  It was just past six thirty and the sun that time of the year set at around 8:30 in the southern half of the sky.  Based on his quick calculations the trail was heading about 150 degrees south-southeast.  He had been on the trail for over an hour and had two hours of light remaining, enough time to continue for a little while before he’d need to turn back.  He reached into his back pack and grabbed a bottle of water draining half of it with one chug.  He didn’t realize how thirsty he was until the tepid water hit his tongue.  Feeling refreshed he climbed to his feet gathered up his rifle and back pack and headed down the hill.

Maggie sat eagerly on the edge of her seat as the name David Jackson was read and a lanky young man in a flowing gown walked across the stage.  Juni’s graduating class consisted of three hundred and fifty-seven students.  Little had to be only a few names away at that point.
"TIM JASPER."
An air-horn sounded.
Margo looked down at Maggie and patted her hand as she grinned reassuringly.
"AMANDA KING."
A small smattering of applause accompanied the diminutive figure crossing the stage.
"JUNI LITTLE."
Maggie leapt to her feet, fingers pressed into the corners of her mouth, whistling loudly as Juni ascended the steps and headed towards Principal Lewis.
Margo paused from her clapping after Juni made his way across the stage and tapped on Maggie’s shoulder.
Maggie took the hint and resorted to clapping wildly, yelling out her brother’s name.
Margo grinned from embarrassment and pulled her youngest into her side in hopes of quieting her.
Maggie stopped yelling but continued clapping until Juni had cleared the stage.  When he was out of sight Maggie looked up at her mom with a big toothy smile.  "That was awesome.  Do you think he heard us?"
"I have no doubt he did, especially you."
"Awesome!  I’ll ask him when we see him after this is over." Maggie paused and looked down at the commencement program her mom was holding.  "How long before this is over?"
"Not too long honey, maybe an hour."
Maggie grabbed her dad’s wrist to look at his watch.  Six fifty-five.  That would put them finishing up around eight o’clock.  That was probably enough time before it got dark but it made Maggie a little nervous they would be cutting it so close.

Tom’s eyes blinked open slowly.  He was disoriented, lying flat on his back and staring up at a darkened canopy set against a deep blue sky.  He sat up and looked around.  His head pounded as he sat upright.  His backpack was on the ground just a few feet from him.  Daylight was fading.  He remembered slipping and losing his balance, but nothing after that.  He reached up and felt the back of his head.  His hair was matted and damp and his head was sore to the touch.  He pulled his hand back down to see that it was covered in blood.  He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out but the sun wasn’t visible over the horizon.  It was probably past eight o’clock already.  He checked his watch.  The crystal was smashed but it confirmed his suspicion, 8:07.  This was not good, he thought.
He climbed to his feet.  The pain pounded in his skull even harder.  He winced as he walked over and picked up his backpack.  He unzipped it and rifled through the bottom finally pulling out a flashlight.  He hadn’t planned on needing it, figuring he would be back to his car by that time, but he was thankful he’d decided to pack it just in case.  He looked around.  His rifle was missing.  In the failing light it was hard to see the brown wooden stock or the black iron barrel against the scattered leaves and pine needles lining the ground.  He turned on the light and swept across the forest floor in all directions.  The weapon did not catch his eye.  He looked back up the hill from where he began his spill, sweeping the beam of light back and forth looking for the gun.
In the distance he heard a subdued roar, almost a groan.  It came from the south where the trail had led him.  Tom stopped and took a deep breath.  There was no time to panic.  He began to ascend the hill looking carefully to the right and to the left as he climbed.  With each step doubt and anxiety welled up in him.  He couldn’t see his rifle, his life line.  Suddenly the wind shifted out of the north blowing a cool calming breeze across his face.  The rushing air calmed him and he took another deep breath.  He turned to watch the breeze flow down the hillside picking up a few leaves and gently setting them back down.  He watched the breeze tranquilly until his eyes widened and his pulse quickened realizing there was a new problem.
Another roar sounded, one more purposeful and alarming.  It had just picked up his scent.
Quickly he returned his attention uphill.  The light was growing dimmer every minute.  He continued sweeping the flashlight back and forth as he climbed the hill.  It was nowhere to be found.  As he approached the crest of the hill he caught his toe on something buried under the fallen leaves and nearly tripped.  The breeze gusted again down the hill blowing a few leaves off the root Tom caught with the toe of his boot.  It jutted up from the earthen floor just a few inches and had dried blood on it, his blood.  That was where he fell.  He looked around in all directions, still no sign of his hunting rifle.  It must have slid further down the hill or he had missed it on his way up.  Regardless it wasn’t any further uphill.
The roar sounded again.  It was getting closer.  He had to go down to find his rifle.  That was his only hope.  He dropped his back pack and started working his way back down the hill quickly checking again where he had looked before.
Another roar.  It was closing in on him.  Tom hurriedly slid down on foot, his eyes focused downhill, beyond the area he had already covered.  It had to be further down the hill.  He passed the point where he had come to just minutes before.  He began sweeping the area again with the beam of light, to the right, to the left, down the hill towards the sound of the beast.  He was ten yards past the point he woke with no sign of his weapon.  Twenty yards.  Still nothing.  Thirty yards and running out of hill before the ravine began climbing back up.
The beast sounded again.  It could have been right on him it was so loud.  It must have been on the edge of the shadows.  The fading light in the sky was almost gone, just a subtle backdrop to the black canopy overhead.  He heard the beast moving through the trees nearby.  He swept the light away from the beast fearful of drawing it straight to him.  In the crevice where the two hills met he spotted the butt of his gun lying next to a tree.  The sound of the beast crashing through the forest grew louder, the snapping branches increasing in frequency, and sounded just yards away.  He flicked off the light and made a beeline for the tree where he spotted the rifle.  Half running and half sliding, he quickly made his way to the tree and began feeling the ground around the base of the giant oak until he had his trusted rifle in hand.  He quickly spun around to the opposite side of the tree.  The sound was coming from the east now, while the breeze still gusted from out of the north.  He knew the beast would not be able to easily pick up his scent from his new vantage point.  He sat quietly with his back to the tree listening for any movements.  They had slowed considerably.
Tom slid the bolt back and felt the chamber to make sure he had a round to fire.  He already knew he had a round in the chamber.  He had checked just a few hours ago as he headed out on the trail.  He also remembered that the magazine was empty.  The rest of the ammo was in his backpack at the top of the hill.  He had intended to load several more rounds into the empty magazine before he left his car but he had forgotten.  At that distance he figured he only had time for one shot anyway, at least he convinced himself of that to feel better that he’d left the ammo behind.  He readied his flashlight.  He would need to see it to shoot it, but as soon as he flicked on the light the beast would know where he was.  He could hear it milling around closely, no more than thirty yards away.  He waited patiently, only to get a better fix on its location so he could direct his light and aim appropriately.  He steadied his breathing.  He heard the snap of one branch, then another.  That was it.  He had his bearings.  He took one last breath and spun around the tree flicking on the light as he landed in a prone position on the other side of it.  The beast turned towards Tom.
It was a bear, a huge bear, twice as big as any grizzly he’d ever seen, easily topping two thousand pounds.  On all fours it was as large as a minivan.  Tom nearly dropped his flashlight as he caught a glimpse of the enormous creature.  It was unbelievable.
The animal reared up threatened by the beam of light in its face, roaring loudly.  It towered close to twenty feet over the forest floor.  Tom dropped his jaw in amazement, but only for a moment.  He had his best shot as it exposed its chest.  He would never have a better opportunity.  Tom slowly drew his breath and squeezed the trigger.
CHAPTER SIX

The roar of the machines drowned out the instructions being barked at Juni as he frantically sorted through the endless stream of featherless birds flying by at an incredulous rate.  His line buddy, Buzz Reynolds, kept yelling behind Juni, half laughing as he watched the rookie fail miserably trying to sort the birds by size into the three lines splitting off from the main conveyor.  Juni had the simple task of moving the smaller birds to the blue line and letting the birds of adequate size pass by and onto the red line.  The third line, the yellow line, was for rejects, birds with any obvious deformities, too small or too large.  Buzz was easily twice Juni’s age, had a large assortment of tattoos that were visible from under the edges of the white coverall uniform he wore in the plant, and spoke with a gruff voice, evidence of his last three decades of smoking Salem Lights.  Buzz’s given name was Jerry, but his chosen hair style, a quarter inch of thick brown hair from widows peak to the back of his neck, garnered him the nickname Buzz long before he ever set foot in the Larson chicken plant.
Before his line-mate Marcie got too frustrated from all of the re-sorting she had to do down the line from the struggling new worker, Buzz finally jumped in to help get him back ahead of the pace of the belt.  Juni shrugged an apology as Buzz quickly sorted the birds without misrouting a single chicken.  Juni watched him as he worked and wondered if he would ever be able to work as fast as Buzz or Marcie.  He also noticed Buzz tossing several chickens onto the yellow conveyor.  They appeared to be within the size limits he’d been shown to observe, so he wasn’t quite sure why so many were failing his inspection.  Then he noticed one had a freakishly large wing.  He continued to observe as Buzz filled up the yellow line with almost one out of every twenty birds that passed by.  Huge legs, tiny wings, strange lumps on the breasts and backs, he had missed all of those while he was sorting.  Presumably Marcie was picking up the slack for him.
Before Juni realized what time it was a loud whistle blew and the machines began shutting down, first up the line where the live chickens were herded to the throat slicing machines, then the boilers used to scald the freshly slaughtered birds for easier feather removal, then the line just before the sorting area he was assigned where they plucked the remaining feathers by hand.  As soon as the main conveyor stopped feeding them birds to sort, Buzz hit the big red button next to that conveyor belt and headed in towards the break room.  It was time for lunch.
Juni stood there and watched hundreds of workers pile into the cafeteria situated at the end of a short hallway opening to the middle of the processing floor.  Their station was the closest of any to the cafeteria, and he quickly realized he was letting the one benefit of working that station slip by him as he stood watching the throng of workers plodding towards him and past him.  He managed to infiltrate the mass of people finding himself thirty people behind Buzz and Marcie.
One of the nice benefits Larson offered its workforce was a free lunch.  Of course every day was chicken day, which turned his stomach a bit after what he’d seen all morning, but it was the freshest chicken he’d ever been served and it looked quite delicious.  As he left the serving line he spotted Buzz and Marcie sitting at a table with several other workers.  He approached with some caution not wanting to presume that just because they were forced to train the new guy they would have to eat with him.  But Buzz noticed him slowly walking their direction and nodded him over.
"So," Buzz started.  "What do you think about your first day so far?"
Juni let out a big sigh.  "Wow, it is kinda crazy.  They just keep coming and coming."
Buzz took a sip from his cup of iced tea.  "Yep, but in a few days it’ll slow down for ya."
"I hope so."
The table remained fairly quiet as they each polished off their lunch.  Casual discussions picked up as they finished their meals.  Ten minutes into their thirty minute lunch break a steady roar of conversation filled the small cafeteria.
"So, Buzz.  How about that yellow line?" Juni asked.
Buzz grinned.  "You like that?"
"Yeah, who knew how many deformed chickens there were out there.  I was missing all of those at first."
"Tell me about it" Marcie said, uttering her first words since she sat down for lunch.
"Sorry, Marcie.  I’ll do better this afternoon."
"Let’s hope so."  Marcie slumped over her cup of tea staring into it as she stirred it slowly with her straw.
"So, seriously, Buzz, what is up with all the deformed chickens?"
"Heck, it’s been that way for years.  Once they started with all them crazy antibiotics and hormones to make them chickens grow enormous breasts."
"Antibiotics?"
"Yeah, I bet you didn’t realize how big a chicken’s breast is these days compared to when you was a kid."
"I guess not."
"Probably seems the same to you on account you were getting bigger all the time they were getting bigger.  Hell, I bet ole Juni here thinks them chicken parts been the same basic size all his life."
Juni agreed cautiously.  "Well, yeah, sure."
"Yeah, but you see that ain’t how it normally works.  Picture something you really loved to eat as a kid."  Buzz stared at Juni.  "Go on, think of something."
Juni grinned.  "Okay, okay."  He sat and thought about it for a second.  "Twinkies.  I used to love Twinkies."
"Perfect.  Okay, so when was the last time you had a Twinkie?"
"I don’t know.  A few months ago."
"And what did you think when you had that Twinkie, about the size of it?"
Juni sat and thought about it for just a second before he realized Buzz was right.  "I thought that those Twinkies used to be a lot bigger."
Buzz slapped the table.  "See!  I told ya.  Everything got smaller as you grew up… except chicken breasts."
"Okay, I’ll give you that.  But what do antibiotics have to do with all those deformities."
"Antibiotics and growth hormones."
"Okay… and growth hormones."
"They say nothing, but you can’t tell me they ain’t related.  Twelve years ago chickens started getting bigger and bigger breasts.  Some of ‘em can’t even hardly stand up they're so front heavy.  Now that ain’t normal.  And about the same time they opened up the yellow line and told us to sort off the abnormal ones."
"So what do they do with the abnormal birds?"
"Either cut ‘em up in parts, or make ‘em into cat food or dog food.  Mostly they still harvest the breast meat.  That is the most expensive cut.  That’s where Larson makes most of its money.  They just want to make sure they don’t go out as whole chickens and stir up a lot of controversy."
"Wow.  A chicken controversy."
"You joke about it, but what if your mama cut open a chicken and it had an extra leg or something.  She’d have freaked out."
"Yeah, I suppose so."
"You bet your ass she would.  Controversy."
"I see your point.  It just sounds crazy."
"You want to know crazy?  You look at some of them chickens.  They are CRAZY.  They look like they’d chase you out of the building some of them, they’re so aggressive."
"Really.  Aggressive attack chickens?"
"There you go again.  But it ain’t too funny when they get you cornered."
Several of the guys listening in to their conversation began to chuckle, which agitated Buzz.
"Yeah, yeah.  Laugh it up.  But it ain’t funny when them creepy little birds come right at you with that wild look in their eye."
The table erupted in laughter.  Even Marcie cracked a smile.  Everyone found Buzz’s story amusing but Buzz.

Doc walked in to his office and sat down after another satisfying meal at Aunt May’s Country Diner.  He shuffled around a few papers on his desk looking for a document he’d been studying earlier that morning.  He leaned forward peering out his office door to see Tammy sitting at her desk finishing up her lunch.
"Tammy, have you seen the McCullough file this morning?"
"Yes Doc, it’s on your desk."
"Well it ain’t…"  Doc spotted the corner of the red case folder under the pile of folders he had stacked on the corner of his desk.  "Never mind, I found it."
Doc was the lead investigator in the Sherriff’s office and Tom Washburn’s go to guy when a tough case rolled through his office.  He wasn’t the most organized person but he had a keen eye and a sharp mind.  Nothing got past him at a crime scene, but filing paperwork… that was a foreign concept to the man.  He’d just as easily learn Chinese.
Doc was an educated man.  He received his Ph.D. in Forensic science from the University of Tennessee.  That was how he got his nickname.  Tom hired Doc straight out of college, looking for a heavy hitter when it came to solving the more difficult crimes that occasionally rolled through Sevier County jurisdiction.  He tried to ignore the nickname assigned to him by the Sheriff and go by his given name, William, but eventually it stuck and Doc stopped correcting people.  Only his wife and mother called him William or Bill after his first few years in the department.
He proved quickly to be much more than a scholar in the field and was widely respected among all law enforcement organizations in the county.  He’d often been brought in to assist with cases being handled by some of the smaller municipal police departments in the county.
Doc sifted through the pages looking over the data collected from the multiple sites.  He had combined six files into the one McCullough file.  The other six had all but been filed away separately, being all were random events that looked like a meddlesome teenager or a predator wandering too close to inhabited areas of the county.  Considering the McCullough case, they all appeared to be related, the rogue beast theory had won out over the teen troublemaker theory, especially given that the two of the three primary suspects of the former scenario were lying six feet in the ground.  It just didn’t make any sense.  The evidence left behind at almost all the scenes indicated claw marks over twenty inches wide.  They had to be man-made, a prank in the poorest of taste, mutilating helpless creatures so some sick minded kid could get a laugh or two.  The dead horse on the Peters property was the beginning of the unraveling of the case against the McCullough boys.  The evidence still supported the theory but the motive was hard to justify.  Killing a horse for a prank was well beyond anything they had done in the past.  They grew up in a rural community and had some respect for the domesticated animal, especially the horse.  The horse had definitely baffled Doc.  And then there were the McCullough boys.  Two dead and one scared out of his mind claiming it to be the work of some huge beast at large.  Until the dead boys were found, it looked like they were capable of the heinous acts that had been taking place around the county.  But that all changed in an instant.  There was only one theory left and Doc knew he was crazy to admit it.
"Tammy, what’s the latest on Tom.  Has anyone heard from him today?"
Tammy poked her head in his open doorway.  "Nope.  No one’s heard nor seen our fearless leader today.  He is MIA."
"That’s not like him to not call in, even if he’s under the weather."
"Have you called his house?"
"Yep.  I get the answering machine."
"Hmmm.  Well, maybe he’s under the weather, trying to get some sleep.  I think I’ll drive by this afternoon and check in on him."
"Okay, well if you do see him tell him Mrs. Finn called in again."
"What did she want?"
"Didn’t say.  Maybe that dog of hers ran off again.  Who knows."
Doc set the file back down on top of his cluttered desk and let out a big sigh.  It was time to think outside the box.  He liked the box.  It had been good to him over the years.  Outside the box made him nervous.
He muttered to himself.  "Giant beast?  I can’t believe it’s come to this."

Juni held his white elastic shower cap tightly in his hands as he stood waiting in the reception area.  He had a few more forms to sign that weren’t prepared the day of his orientation the week before.  All the seats were empty but his coveralls were splattered from head to toe with chicken blood and feces.  That was yet another surprise to him how much shit a chicken had left in them after they were slaughtered and feathered.  He smelt terrible, looked disgusting and felt incredibly out of place standing there in the office in his present condition.  He had been instructed to report to the administrative office immediately after his shift so there he stood.  The reception desk was empty again.  He assumed Amanda’s shift ended at the same time as the day shift on the production line, 3:30pm.  He was surprised by the door opening behind him and visibly winced when he saw that it was Amanda reclaiming her seat at the main desk.
She walked quickly past him trying not to catch a whiff of him.  "What are you doing in here?"
"I was told to come here directly after my shift."
"You can’t be in here dressed like that."
Juni turned a bright shade of red as he reassessed just how disgusting he was at the moment.  "Sorry, I didn’t think…I thought they needed me right away."
"I’m pretty sure nothing is so urgent they wanted you back up here before you changed out of your coveralls."
"You think?"
"Yes, I think.  Now go.  I’ll let them know you’re on your way."
"Okay, thanks.  I’ll be right back."
Juni hurried out of the office and down the stairs towards the locker rooms where he had changed into his uniform that morning.  The room was almost empty.  It didn’t take long for the shift change to run its course.  Once off the floor Buzz and the rest of them were on the road heading home in less than fifteen minutes.  Juni took slightly longer trying to carefully disrobe without getting the gunk on the outside of his clothes on his hands or anywhere else on his body.  Within a few minutes he had changed and washed up enough to where he didn’t think he still carried the odor of death.
He ran back upstairs and re-entered the office.  Amanda smiled at his return.
"That’s much better.  Abby left this here for you to sign.  She doesn’t need to see you."
"Abby?"
"Mrs. Freeman."
"Oh, right.  Yeah, okay."
Juni stared down at the forms.  He was still very nervous around the lovely young Amanda Pressman.  His nerves made it difficult for him to focus.  He stared at the forms a little longer before Amanda stood up from her chair and pointed out the three places he needed to initial or sign.
"Thanks."  Juni quickly finished up the forms and handed them back to Amanda.
"So, how was your first day?"
Juni let out a big sigh.  Amanda chuckled.
"That good?" she asked.
"Yeah, I had no idea how crazy it would be."
"Yeah, we get that a lot from our new hires."
"I bet it’s not so crazy up here."
"It gets crazy sometimes… but definitely in a different way."
"What?  You don’t have thousands of dead chickens flying at you?"
"No, definitely not that.  I guess that’s a good thing."
"Yeah, I suppose so."
"So did you know those two kids who got killed?" Amanda asked.  "I heard that you found one of them in the forest."
"I didn’t really know them.  I know their brother, kind of.  I mean, we are… were in the same grade.  They were twins, a few years younger than me."
"So is it true about you finding the body?"
"Yeah, me and my little sister."
"Oh no.  How old is she?"
"Nine."
"Oh how terrible.  Did she freak out?"
"She’s had a rough few weeks with all that’s been going on."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, she’s been all freaked out since the weird animal mutilations started.  Now with finding Brock’s body… she’s a mess."
"Oh, poor little thing."
"Yeah."
After a brief but awkward pause Juni bumped a punctuating fist on the desk.  "Okay, well thanks for helping me out."
"Sure thing Juni.  Just promise me one thing."
"Sure, what’s that?"
"Don’t ever come back up here in those coveralls again."
Juni blushed again.  "Sure thing.  You have my word."

The little old widow cracked open her back door and poked her head outside.  It was late in the afternoon, still a good three hours of daylight left, but she didn’t like the fact that Bessie had run off again, not with that thing out there.  She called out again for her to come but gave up after not hearing any response or seeing her appear from the wooded terrain surrounding her property.  Mrs. Finn walked into her kitchen and picked up the phone.

Doc Rainey walked past Tammy’s desk as she answered the incoming phone call.  The concerned look on his face spread quickly to Tammy and then to George who had come in on his day off to cover for Tom.  Doc had driven out earlier that afternoon to check on Tom, but he wasn’t at home.  He continued his search running around town checking the usual spots Tom was known to frequent.  No one had seen him since Saturday.  Becky Ramirez at the Salty Sow had waited on him at lunch time and that was the last anyone could remember seeing him.
"Yes, Mrs. Finn."  Tammy spoke into her headset.  "No ma’am.  He’s still not in… No ma’am I don’t…  Can I ask what this is about?"  Tammy rolled her eyes as she listened patiently to the elderly woman prattle on about her missing dog.  "Ma’am has she run off before?"
Doc walked over to George’s desk.  "I think we need to call in Jim’s team.  I want bodies on the ground canvassing the area."
George nodded and picked up the phone receiver.
"One more thing.  Have Tammy get Deputy Lewis from the Pittman branch office on the phone.  It may be time to call in a favor.  I’m heading back out to check a few…"
"Doc!" Tammy called to Doc from her desk.
"What is it Tammy?"
"Mrs. Finn said she saw Tom, Saturday afternoon."
"Okay, let me talk to her."
Tammy handed the headset to Doc.
"Hello Mrs. Finn, you said you saw Tom Saturday afternoon."
"Yes, sir."  Mrs. Finn replied over the phone.
"About what time was it?  Uh-huh…Uh-huh. Thank you for calling."
Doc handed the receiver back to Tammy.  "George, you’re with me.  Tammy, we’re headed over to route 47.  Mrs. Finn said she saw Tom driving out that way Saturday afternoon when she stopped him to ask if he’d seen her dog.  She said he was heading over to Keeley point where we found the first McCullough kid.  Said he had his hunting rifle with him."
"What should I tell Deputy Lewis?"
"Tell him to call up is canine unit.  And get Addison on the phone.  Tell him to call up his men, all of them.  Have everyone meet me at the same search site we covered last week."
"And if they ask why?"
"Tell’em I said to.  I’ll brief everyone at the scene."
CHAPTER SEVEN

Maggie sat quietly at the kitchen table, her full attention on the laptop keyboard as she pecked away.  Juni entered the room whistling a tune.  It took just a few moments for the tune to penetrate Maggie’s conscious.
"Hey, Juni," Maggie said with her nose still hovering over the keyboard.
"Hey squirt."
Maggie turned her full attention to her brother.  "So how was your first day at work?"
"Pretty good.  But I’m exhausted.  They had me sorting chickens right after they were feathered."
Maggie wrinkled her nose in disgust.  "Eeewwww!  You had to touch the dead chickens."
"Well, what did you think I’d be doing?"
"I don’t know… pulling levers that make the machines chop ‘em up."
"Hmmm.  I didn’t see the lever pulling chopping station today.  Maybe they’re saving that for tomorrow."
"You know Juni, I tell you what.  I’ll just assume that tomorrow you’ll be permanently assigned to the lever pulling chicken chopper and we don’t ever need to talk about it again."
"Come on.  It’s not that gross."
Maggie looked away and held a palm to Juni’s face.  "Uh-uh, I’m serious… never again."
"Fine.  I won’t ever mention it again."  Juni looked at the screen on the laptop.  Maggie had a Word document open and was typing in it.
"So what’s that you’re working on?"
"A letter."
"A letter!  A letter to whom?"
"FEMA."
"FEMA!"  Juni jumped back overselling his look of surprise.  "Why is my nine year old sister writing to FEMA?"
Maggie stared back at her brother and rolled her eyes.  "The monster you big dummy."
"The monster?  Oh, right the monster."  Juni knew very well what monster she was referring to though he was not quite ready to dub it with that title.  "So FEMA is the appropriate agency to handle monsters?"
"Yeah, their mission statement is fairly broad.  I think it covers this.  According to FEMA…" Maggie cleared her throat and flipped to a different window on her desktop.
She read slowly and deliberately from the screen.  "FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sus…sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mit…"
"Mitigate" Juni assisted.
"…mitigate all hazards."
Maggie flipped the laptop closed triumphantly.  "Now if our monster isn’t a hazard then tell me what is."
"Their mission statement!"  Juni stared in amazement at how a soon to be fourth grader was able to move so nimbly on the vast expanses of the internet.  "Wow!  You have been busy today.  So can I read your letter?"
"It’s not done yet.  I may need someone to proofread it after it’s finished.  I’ll let you read it then."
"Sure.  I’d be happy to help.  You know, most kids your age are writing letters to Santa Claus you know."
"Unless Santa's got a .416 Rigby or a .460 Weatherby Magnum I don't think he can help."
"Sounds like you've been on a few other internet sites today as well."
"Yeah, well it seems like I'm the only one taking this seriously around here."
"Things are going to work out just fine, Maggie.  You wait and see."

Jim Addison walked up to Doc’s squad car with its lights flashing parked just behind Tom's late model Chevy half ton pickup on the side of the road in the vicinity of their last manhunt.  The man who ran point on that operation had become the new objective.  Several of Jim’s men had already arrived on scene.  Doc started sending out four man parties as quick as he could put them together.  Each party had at least one officer skilled in tracking, either from their experience on the force or from hunting.
Jim approached Doc and George, both running their fingers across a map of the area.  "So what’s the situation?  Tammy said something about Tom being MIA."
Doc began, briefing Jim on the situation.  "Mrs. Finn talked to Tom late Saturday afternoon.  Said he was heading this way.  She was the last person to see him.  When I got here a half hour ago I found his truck here.  She also mentioned he had his deer rifle with him.  That’s all we know."
"Okay, so what’s the plan?"
"Well I have three groups of four men out on separate leads from this spot.  Deputy Lewis is sending over a bloodhound unit.  Hopefully they’ll be here in a minute.  That’ll be our best shot to find him before dark."
Jim nodded.  "Whatever you need Doc.  Just let me know."

Zach Thompson hovered close to the ground studying the area as three men gathered close by watching intently to see if he would find the trail again.  It was already a quarter past six and light was scarce on the floor of the pine grove.  Finally he spotted a broken twig and a small patch of earth showing through the blanket of pine needles and leaves that had been disturbed recently.  He pointed and headed that direction carefully studying the ground as he walked.  Zach had been in the Sheriff’s Department for only two years, the most junior member of the men he led.  Tenure had nothing to do with who took the lead and who followed that afternoon.  Zach was an avid hunter and was highly regarded for his tracking skills.  Short of a bloodhound he was the best option for a search and rescue operation.
The rest of the search party followed carefully scanning the area for any signs that would lead them to the missing sheriff.  Chris Beemer held the most seniority of the officers in Jim Addison’s patrol unit that comprised the search team.
Zach stopped quickly, standing erect with an ear turned up as he picked up a rustling noise close by.  "Did y’all hear that?"
Chris replied.  "Hear what?"
Zach stood quietly listening intently for the sound to repeat.  It didn’t.  "Nothing I guess."
They continued heading up a long and gradual slope.  Zach had definitely picked up the trail again finding plenty of bent or snapped branches along the way.  When they crested the hill Zach spotted the tree that Tom had slid down to rest before making his decent into the ravine.  He motioned for Chris to join him as he scanned the slope below them.  Chris spotted it first, the blue backpack lying on the ground where the sheriff had dropped it, just off to the left of a clear trail that even the untrained eye could pick up.  Chris carefully stepped his way down the graded slope towards the backpack.  Upon examination it was clear it was Tom’s.  Zach scanned the area around the backpack.   About ten feet from where they found it he spotted the tree runner where Tom had fallen, marked with the dried blood Tom had spilled on impact.
Chris grabbed the transmitter harnessed to his shoulder.  "Doc?  You there?"
A voice crackled through the static.  "Yes sir.  Do we have something?"
"Yes sir.  This is officer Beemer.  I think we do.  We’ve found Tom’s backpack."  Chris looked down at his hand held GPS and read off their coordinates for Doc's reference.  "We’re going to cover the area.  I’ll report back if we find anything else."
"Okay, Chris.  Proceed as planned and let us know.  I’ll send help your way."
The trail faded from there.  The wind had been gusting that weekend and any leaves that had been disturbed by the movement of their wounded Sheriff had been redistributed several times since.
Chris called Zach over.  The two men surveyed the hill looking for the best way to partition the area among the four of them.  After a few moments of pointing and waving their arms back and forth they had a plan.  The four men each took off in different directions.  The sun hung low in the western sky.  Two hours of daylight remained.  Twilight had a funny way of sneaking up on people in the thick wooded hills of eastern Tennessee.  As soon as the sun dipped towards the edge of the horizon the dense canopy of the pine forest would cast a dark shadow on the earth below.  The four men were trying to search ten acres surrounding the area where they discovered the backpack.
Zach headed downhill towards the ravine where Tom held his standoff with the monstrous bear.  He slowly worked his way down the steep embankment exercising caution with his footing.   As he neared the ravine he noticed a few snapped branches on some of the undergrowth to his left but it was evident that the trail markings indicated movement from that direction rather than toward it.  He traced the path spotting a few more signs confirming that the trail he saw was moving in a direction inconsistent with where they had found the backpack.  As he studied the trail he noticed the path was a much wider swath of damaged underbrush than a single man would create.   He turned and stared across the small clearing looking for the trail to continue.  Downhill from his position, in the ravine formed between the two hills, Zach spotted the giant oak.   On one side there were marks about ten feet off the ground.  As he approached he saw that they were claw marks, enormous claw marks.  Then he saw something lying on the ground next to the tree.  It was a deer rifle.  Zach cautiously peered around the edge of the tree.  The ground was soaked in blood.  A gentle but steady breeze had been at his back but he finally caught a whiff of an incredible stench.  Lying in the ravine was the mangled remains of a body.  Zach grabbed his radio and called it in.  Their search was over.  Their worst fears had been confirmed.

A small chorus of applause sounded through the large banquet hall in Chicago, Illinois while the elder statesmen of Anderson-Davis climbed the steps leading to the podium.  He looked into the black behind the bright lights shining in his face until a few of the many familiar faces took shape through the glare.  He leaned forward into the microphone unsure it would carry his voice through the large hall and spoke.
"Good evening.  Thank you for coming tonight on this special occasion.  My name is Leo Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Anderson-Davis Pharmaceuticals.  I'd like to thank the American Journal of Science for allowing me to present this auspicious award to my dear friend and trusted colleague on their behalf in recognition for his outstanding achievements in the field of pharmaceutical research and development."
"He may not look like the typical CEO, and that's for good reason.  Not many CEO's I know served a tour of duty in the Marines in the first Gulf War.  Not many have put themselves through college on the GI bill while working as a security guard on the graveyard shift, while earning his Phd in Biochemistry, all in a short six year time frame.  And none have built a company the caliber of Anderson-Davis from the ground up like the man we honor tonight."
"I can't tell you how many nights I have left the office, after dark, and walked by his office only to see him, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, head buried in a lab report, unwilling to give up on a challenge staring him in the face.  He is tenacious.  He is fearless.  He is willing to do what it takes.  He is the well deserving recipient of the American Journal of Science Outstanding Achievement in the field of Biomedical Research Award.  Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to my good friend, Richard Davis."
A man with a slim athletic build stood up in the audience and began moving towards the stage as the sound of applause filled the room.  He felt his phone vibrate as he moved through the crowd.  He pulled it out and saw a message from a phone number in the 865 area code.  It read "We have a problem."
Richard closed the message and tucked his phone back into his pocket as he waved to the crowd acknowledging their gracious applause.

Juni’s arms flew forward and back, side to side, seemingly in a flail as if each arm controlled itself, not operating in tandem but independently.  But there was a coordinated effort between the two limbs, a highly coordinated, well-orchestrated endeavor grabbing and tossing featherless birds from the main conveyor to the yellow, red or blue conveyors as they barreled down the line in his direction.  Buzz had pulled a chair out of the cafeteria and sat leaning the back of the chair against the wall.  It was Juni’s last day to be shadowed by his floor buddy.  Buzz was a little disappointed to see him moving on.  He hadn’t grown a sentimental attachment to the young lad, but he had grown accustomed to slacking off.  After the first two days Juni had mastered the preliminary sorting station which made Buzz’s day a piece of cake, and he milked it for all it was worth.  He had tried to convince the line manager that Juni wasn’t ready to handle it on his own but more than one supervisor had noticed Buzz kicking back while Juni easily handled the fast paced conveyor.
A man in a long white coat turned the corner catching Buzz by surprise.  It was their immediate supervisor, Bob Ramsey.  "Buzz, it looks like you have outdone yourself with Mr. Little here.  He looks like he is operating at full speed now."
"Yes sir."  Buzz stammered while jumping to his feet.  "I believe he is getting the feel for it now."
"Excellent work Mr. Reynolds.  I think it’s time we cut him loose, let him fly on his own."
Juni continued sorting at a furious pace.  Marcie stood down the line from him just a few feet staring at the birds as they flew by.  She had nothing to do.  Juni wasn’t missing a thing.  As soon as their supervisor approached she began nervously moving the birds around on the conveyor, not between the conveyors, but simply turning them and inspecting them as if she were adding something where nothing was required.
"Buzz," the man in the white coat continued.  "I need someone to run a delivery out to Pegram."
Buzz began to hem and haw.  "Bob, you know I don’t like that place."
"Oh, come on now Buzz.  Don’t you think you’re getting worked up over nothing."
"It ain’t nothin’ Bob.  Those chickens are evil."
Bob sighed.  Then he noticed Juni working furiously on the line.  "Go relieve Juni."
As much as he hated to see the dead end of easy street Buzz quickly obliged, fearful he might otherwise be forced to drive to Pegram farm.
Juni could not hear any of the conversation behind him over the steady roar of the conveyors until Bob yelled his name.
"Juni!"
Startled Juni turned to see Buzz step in to take his place at the conveyor.  He noticed Bob standing behind him and quickly fought to quell the sense of panic coming over him.  Bob was a white coat.  That was the name the workers gave the supervisors that monitored the work force.  His stomach knotted just a bit reminding him of the feeling he’d had in grade school when he’d been called down to the principal’s office.
"Yes, sir!"
Bob waved Juni over.  "Juni, have you ever driven an eighteen-wheeler?"
Juni quickly replied.  "No sir."
"Good.  Cause I just need you to drive a delivery van."
"A delivery van?  Where to sir?"
"Pegram farm.  It’s not far.  Amanda has the shipping orders upstairs.  Run up to the office and tell her you need the shipping docs for the ZXR-82 delivery."
"The office sir?"  Juni looked a bit concerned.
"Yes, Juni the office.  Is there a problem?"
"No, sir…  It’s just that the last time I went up there… Sir, should I change out of my coveralls before I head up to the office."
Bob scrunched his nose as he assessed Juni’s state of filth.  "Absolutely.  They’ll yell at you in the office if you go up there like that.  But put on a fresh pair of coveralls.  I don’t think you’ll want to go to Pegram in your civi’s."
Juni headed to the employee locker room to change.  When he arrived upstairs in the office a few minutes later Amanda greeted him with a big grin.
"So Bob told me you’d be running the delivery out to Pegram today."
"Yeah.  I thought it would be a nice break from working on the line."
"You’ve never been to Pegram before."
"Pegram?  No, he said it wasn’t far."  Juni knew nothing about his destination.
"Yes, it is one of our largest chicken farms and the closest one to this processing plant."  Amanda set a small packet of paperwork on the reception counter and stood from her chair, leaning forward to go over the paperwork with Juni.
Juni caught a whiff of her subtle perfume and found himself distracted by the beautiful features of the young woman.  He tried desperately to follow her instructions.  He knew they were important, but when she pulled her long brown silky hair back on one side behind her perfectly shaped ear it drew his attention to her long flawless neck.  He allowed himself only a second or two of distraction before darting his eyes back to the page as she continued.
"This is my copy.  Have them sign it and keep the yellow duplicate.  They have to initial next to the serial number for each crate you're taking.  Make sure they initial here.  That is very important."
"Okay.  So what am I delivering?"
"ZXR-82 chicken feed."
"Chicken feed?  Seems like a lot of paperwork for chicken feed."
"This is not your everyday run-of-the-mill chicken feed.  It is very expensive."
"I see.  So when you’re talking about buying something for ‘chicken feed’ then you mean it was very expensive" Juni playfully jibed.
"First of all, I’m not eighty so I don’t put the cost of anything in terms of chicken feed.  And second, possibly, because this stuff is very expensive."
"So why is it so expensive?"
"It’s from Anderson-Davis Labs.  It’s special feed with growth hormones and antibiotics added.  They mix this feed in with the regular feed, like a hundred parts to one ratio.  It makes the chickens grow really giant breasts."
"I see.  And breasts are where all the money is.  That’s what I hear from Buzz."
Amanda blushed just a bit, suddenly embarrassed by all the talk about breasts.  "Buzz… Yes, I suppose so."
"Okay, got it.  Initial for each crate."
"I printed a map, here on top.  The delivery van is down at the loading dock.  Ask Damon for the keys.  Any questions?"
"No, I think I got it."
"Okay, have a safe trip."
"Will do."  Juni shot Amanda a double barrel finger point.  "I will see you later."
Amanda chuckled at Juni’s hammy conversational dismount.  "Okay, cowboy.  See you later."

On route to Pegram, Juni slowly rolled to a stop at a four way intersection where a long procession of vehicles passed by.  Among the parade of cars were several law enforcement vehicles.  It was common for funeral processions to have a police escort but there were dozens of sheriff’s department vehicles in the long motorcade.  Juni assumed it to be the funeral procession for the fallen sheriff.  He’d heard the news in the locker room at Larson the morning after they found his body.  The circumstances of his death were somewhat of a mystery, though speculation ran rampant that his was the third death attributable to the mysterious creature lurking in the hills of the small community.  In a small town like Gatlinburg, news like that spread quickly.  He felt sorry for the man.  Though he didn't know him, he seemed like a genuine person during their brief encounter when they found that first mutilated deer.
Mrs. Finn had retold the story to his mom regarding Deputy Doc Rainey inquiring about his whereabouts and her own encounter with the Sheriff on Saturday afternoon.  Since school had let out for the summer, controlling the information Maggie was exposed to proved to be much easier.  That was definitely one rumor that Juni and his parents kept from their little worry wart.  Juni himself worried enough about the mysterious killings that had been going on around Sevier County for the past two weeks.  He knew that putting the energy of Maggie’s imagination behind the disturbing circumstances of the Sheriff’s death would be a disastrous combination that had to be avoided at all costs if the Littles wanted any peace at night.  As Juni’s thoughts drifted the procession passed and the motorcycle escort vacated the intersection.  Juni flipped on his blinker and turned onto the road that led to Pegram farm.
Within a few minutes he arrived at his destination.  He quickly noticed the foul stench in the air.  The processing plant had a distinct and unpleasant odor to it but it paled in comparison to the offending smell pouring from the four long metal buildings that formed Pegram farm.  Pegram was a corporate farm.  It was staffed twenty four hours a day, but there was a small parking lot out front filled with a dozen vehicles, two of which bore the Larson Chicken brand on the side of the vehicle.  Juni pulled into an open spot and headed towards the only building that looked like it housed the offices of the farm.  The papers on his clipboard rustled in the breeze that carried with it a strong dose of the stink from the chicken manure lining the floors of the four monstrous coops.  Juni quickened his pace in an attempt to minimize the time he had to breathe in the tainted air engulfing him.
Juni practically sprinted up the steps of the converted farmhouse.  He didn’t hesitate when he reached the door to turn the knob and usher himself past the threshold quickly closing the door behind him as he exhaled.  The foyer led to a hallway straight ahead of him where the sounds of a chair rolling across the wooden floor echoed.  Juni recomposed himself and timidly wandered down the hall.
"Hello?"
The chair paused for a moment before it rolled loudly towards the hallway.  A man leaned backwards into the hall from inside the room on the left.
He answered in a thick southern drawl. "Can I help you?"
"Yes sir.  I’m from the processing plant.  I have a delivery."  Juni handed his paperwork to the man.
The man scanned the document as he made a sucking noise through his front teeth.  "Hmmm.  We got some Zixer 82 feed here."  He looked back at Juni then back down at the paperwork.  "You have it on a dolly out front?"
"No sir.  It’s still in the van.  I didn’t know where you wanted it unloaded."
The man stared back down at the paperwork for a few seconds and then back at Juni.  He stared past Juni as if considering a vast array of options.
Finally he spoke.  "Take the van out behind coop two.  Cal will show you where to unload the crates.  Says you got three here."
"Yes sir."  Juni reached out for his clipboard.  "Coop two?"
The man stared back at Juni and made the sucking noise through his teeth again.
Juni turned to leave after what seemed to be a brief stand-off of sorts.  He looked back briefly contemplating asking for a little more clarification regarding which coop was coop two, but thought better of it and simply nodded on his way out the door.
From the front porch he stared at the long metal buildings in front of him.  He pulled his hat from his back pocket and straightened it as he put it on.  Then he caught another whiff of the stench wafting across the open land between the coops and the farmhouse and hurried towards the delivery van.
He pulled the van around the first and second buildings turning up between the second and third.  The stench was almost unbearable as the sun beat down on the chicken farm.  There was no sign of any person from his vantage point.  There was an open door midway down the long metal building on his left.  He decided that was his best bet and climbed out of the van.  He unloaded the crates stacking the first two on the dolly and wheeled them towards the open door.  As soon as he climbed out of the van he could hear a low clamor.  It got louder with each step on his approach to the open door and almost became deafening when he poked his head inside looking for the alleged Cal, the man who was supposed to receive the shipment of precious chicken feed.
Not surprising to Juni, there was no sign of Cal.  Inside the coop very little light seeped in through the few openings of the building to see.  The thousands of chickens warbled each to their own rhythm creating a cacophony of sound that made it hard to think.  The long building had a gap of about a foot between the top of the walls and the roof that offered the only light source inside the building.  After a minute inside the building his eyes adjusted enough so he could see the sea of white feathered birds lining the floor of the building.  There were no gaps in the throng of birds except for the three pathways fenced off, one in the center and two that ran along the outer walls.  The center path was lined with battery cages for egg production.  All in all, Juni was looking at about twenty five thousand birds.  Cal however, was nowhere to be seen.
Juni peered down both directions of the long path that ran the length of the chicken coop.  He had nearly abandoned his search inside the coop when a crack of light shot through the dark building from the far end of the center aisle.  A man briefly entered the building before exiting just as quickly leaving the door open.  Juni grabbed his dolly and headed towards the open door.  The metal building was over three hundred feet in length and Juni was about fifty feet from the end when the door shedding a modest amount of light slammed shut without warning.  Juni paused for a moment.  It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the lower level of light, but he pressed onward towards the end of the building, towards the door where he had just seen the man he assumed to be Cal.
He turned the corner and pushed on towards the closed door just as he heard the creaking sound of a rusty hinge behind him.  It was the same man as before.  He pushed the door closed where Juni had entered the coop.  Juni sighed at his poor timing, but he pushed on to the doorway at the end of the coop only twenty feet away.  He reached the door and grabbed the handle giving it a firm push.  It did not budge.
"Great." He muttered to himself.
Juni spun around sizing up the situation.  The constant noise of twenty five thousand chickens clucking that he had shoved into the back of his mind suddenly crashed into the forefront of his consciousness.  They seemed to get louder and louder as he stood there trapped in the dimly lit building.  He tried the door one more time.  It was definitely not opening from the inside.  Juni felt a sense of panic well up inside him.  He was generally a level headed, calm individual, but the incessant clucking of the chickens had worn through his placid façade.  Juni parked the dolly at the end of the center aisle flanked by the battery cages and set off to track down Cal whose job apparently was to run around closing doors, or so it seemed.
Juni stopped for a second before heading back to the original doorway where he entered.  He noticed the activity in the pen changed as he stood there.  The chicken population started gathering in a tight formation near the two interior corners of each pen on either side of the aisle.  The birds seemed to be in a somewhat agitated state.  They were gathering in little chicken mobs as close as they could get to the dolly.  Apparently they could smell the feed he was toting.  The comical nature of the chicken mobs offset Juni’s anxiety enough to take the edge off.  He drew a deep breath and turned to head back where he started, but he didn’t make it far before a white feathery blur flew up in his face.
Juni instinctually pulled back protecting his face unsure of what had happened.  “Holy shit!”
When he looked down an enormous chicken stood in front of him strutting back and forth in his path.  The chicken stood nearly three feet off the ground.  Somehow it had climbed the pulsating throng of chickens in the corner of the pen and willed his way over the short three and a half foot fence that lined the pen.
Juni stood still as the chicken paced back and forth.  Then the bird turned on him.  Juni stood between the bird and the stack of feed.  It lunged at Juni who jumped back, shocked by its aggressive behavior.  It lunged again.  Juni backed up past the dolly.  The chicken began scratching his feet on the ground and pecking between the wooden slats of the bottom crate.  Juni watched in amazement as the bird kept pecking away at the burlap lining inside the crate until he realized it was quickly making progress.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa Mr. freaky chicken.  You can’t do that.  That stuff is very expensive.  Mr. Cal will be determining rations."
Juni shooed at the giant chicken but it was not deterred at all and kept pecking away at the crate.
Juni lost his patience.  "Dammit bird!  Get the hell away from my delivery!"
He took a more aggressive stance with the bird kicking at it trying to get it to disengage from the crate.  The bird responded by making a run at Juni.  The chicken was a lot more intimidating to Juni than vice versa.  Juni looked around to find a weapon of some sort he could use to threaten the large bird.  A few feet from the door against the wall leaned a big feed shovel.  Juni ran and grabbed the shovel and returned to engage the chicken.  He forcibly moved the chicken away from the crates and down the center aisle between the taller battery cages.  In the distance he saw the man re-enter the coop through the side door where he originally entered the coop.
Juni turned to set the shovel down when the monster chicken made another run at him catching him off guard.  Juni reacted, swinging the shovel at the bird striking it with a loud thud.  The bird fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Oh shit!" Juni muttered to himself, realizing what he’d done.
Before he could dwell too long on the issue of the dead chicken he was distracted by the sound of the side entry door screeching as the man pulled it closed.
"Hey!" Juni shouted, fearful of being locked up with twenty five thousand birds.  "HEY!" he screamed again with more than a hint of terror in his voice.  "CAL!"
The light vanished simultaneously with the cessation of the screams from rusty hinges.
"HEY!" Juni screamed one last time in desperation.  It was of no use.  The man couldn’t hear Juni’s screams over the sound of the thousands of chickens and the rusty door hinges.  Juni stood in the dark unsure what to do.  The chickens gathered in tiny mobs in the corners of the coops were pulsating as a group, which did not help with Juni’s nerves that were completely on edge.  Juni walked over to the wall with the shovel and banged it on the outer wall of the coop and shouted one more time.
He stood silently for a moment staring across the darkness when finally a crack of light appeared.
"CAL?" he shouted over the loud murmur of the coop residents.
The man cupped his hands.  "You looking for me?"
Juni shouted back.  "If you’re Cal, then yes.  But either way leave that door open.  I’m coming your way."
Once Juni made it out into the open air, it seemed quite a bit fresher, more palatable than before.  He was just relieved to be out of the coop.
Cal apologized for the mishap, though he chuckled to himself as Juni looked a bit shell shocked from the experience.  Regardless of his edgy disposition Juni made sure Cal signed his papers and initialed for all three crates when he took delivery of the cargo.  A few minutes later Juni left Pegram farm behind him, looking forward to sorting dead chickens that afternoon.
CHAPTER EIGHT

By the time Juni returned to the line only twenty minutes remained on his shift.  He reported back to Mr. Ramsey who checked his watch as he watched Buzz and Marcie work the final sorting station.  It was clear that Juni required no more hand holding at the final sorting station, and the end of the shift was a bad time to introduce him to a new post.  He gave Juni a quick inspection checking his coveralls.
"You’re still clean.  Why don’t you head back up to the office and see if they have any heavy filing they could use help with."
"Sure thing, Mr. Ramsey."  Juni looked surprised but knew a half hour in the office was a picnic compared to slinging birds.
Juni ran up the stairs and into the main office.  Amanda was sitting behind the reception desk engrossed in some paperwork, but looked up when she heard Juni enter.
Her face lit up when she saw him, and she made no effort to hide it.  Juni began to notice that was a trend.  She always had a smile when interacting with him.  She had a way about her that made him feel special.  He silently recounted all their interactions.  She had remembered his name, she always smiled, it couldn’t be, but then again maybe it could.  Juni suddenly realized he was just standing in the doorway without saying anything.
"Bob sent me back up to see if you had any heavy filing to take care of, whatever that is."
Amanda looked over at the far wall at a small stack of file boxes.  "Actually, I do have a few boxes of files that are ready to take down to the records room."
Juni smiled broadly at her.  "Okay, sure."
Amanda grabbed a set of keys out of her desk drawer and stood from her chair.  "Grab a couple of those boxes and follow me" she said with a hypnotic smile.
Juni thought "Into the bowels of hell and back", but audibly replied "Sure thing."
Amanda led Juni down a long corridor to the back of the office and the main file room.  The room was unfinished and sat behind a Dutch split door with a chain link insert in the top half which allowed the stale aroma from the hundreds of file boxes to waft into the corridor.  Amanda unlocked the thick door swinging it open for them to enter.  The room was much larger than Juni had anticipated housing thousands of file boxes like the two in his arms on rows of metal shelving.
"Wow.  That’s a lot of boxes."
"Yep.  Just set those on that shelf right there."
"What are in all of these boxes?"
"You name it, it’s in here.  You know that paperwork I had you fill out for that delivery today, well, there are thousands of forms just like that one filed in these boxes."
"Wow, who knew."
"Yep, so I’ll leave this door unlocked so you can grab the rest of those boxes and stack them on these open shelves here."
Juni nodded.  "Sure."
Amanda headed back to the reception desk while Juni finished stacking the boxes from his first load.  He followed shortly behind, studying her pleasant figure from a safe distance.  As she turned the corner he heard someone entering the office and Amanda offering a warm greeting.  As he reached the end of the corridor that emptied into the reception area he glanced over to spot Amanda flashing her intoxicating smile to the stranger at the desk.  To Juni, her demeanor appeared no different with the ruggedly handsome man hanging over the front desk than it had been with him, not even slightly different.  Amanda glanced in his direction but he quickly diverted his attention towards the stack of boxes.  He didn’t pause, grabbing two more boxes and heading down the long corridor to the file room.  He took note each time he approached the reception area to listen carefully if the conversation was continuing or if he had finally moved on.
For six trips up and down the long hallway the man lingered.  Six times Juni listened to whatever inane comments he had to offer only to hear another polite giggle or occasional guffaw from Amanda.  She had such an infectious laugh, but in response to the dull witted observations of the six-foot-something Neanderthal the laughter cut away at his ego as it echoed down the long, lonely, empty corridor.  By the time the stack of boxes had been relocated Juni’s head hung at half-mast.
Amanda glanced up as Juni tried to make a quick exit, through the reception area.  "All done?" she asked rhetorically, seeing that the boxes were gone.
Juni barely turned as he made a beeline towards the door.  "Yep.  I’ll see you around."
"Okay, thanks…"
Before she could get another word out Juni was out the door and shuffling his feet down the long single flight of steps.
Amanda sat back down in her seat perplexed by Juni’s hasty exit, but her gaze lingered only a second before her fiancé loudly cleared his throat to regain her attention.

A somber pall blanketed the entire sheriff’s office.  Men decked out in their dress uniforms wandered the hallways, trying to find a balance between respectful remorse and their desire to get down to the business of finding the monster that shred the man they had looked to for leadership and guidance for as long as most could remember.  No one wanted to go home even though the services had ended a few hours ago, and the evening shift change had already come and gone.
Doc Rainey and George Valentine sat in Doc’s office, each clutching a tumbler with a splash of whiskey left at the bottom of the glass.
"You know we are on the brink of losing our community" George said, chasing the lone ice cube around the bottom of his glass with his finger.
Doc stared into the bottom of his glass before giving it one final toss back draining the last few drops.  "I suppose."
"You know everyone out there is looking at you to lead us out of this mess."
Doc shot George a disparaging look.  "I don’t know about that.  You have more tenure than me, George."
George pulled his feet off the desk and stared back at Doc, knuckles to knees.  "Doc, now ain’t the time for humility.  Everyone knows you were Tom’s go to guy.  You’re the best damn investigator we’ve ever had come up through the ranks in the Sherriff’s department.  We need a leader, and a smart one at that.  So don’t go and get all insecure on us now.  Now’s not the time."
Doc rolled the ice cube from his last swallow from one cheek to the other before spitting it back in his glass.  "I’ll lead if you think they’ll follow."
George smiled.  "They’ll follow Doc.  They’re all so damn scared they’d follow me.  And I don’t have any idea where I’m headed."
"Okay, well let’s go find the son-of-a-bitch monster that’s terrorizing the county.  Call Tammy in here, I want to pull the files on all these incidents.  There’s got to be a pattern somewhere in all these killings."

The dinner table was somewhat quiet in the Little household.  The one topic of utmost interest was the one forbidden to be discussed in front of Maggie.  She hummed along as she chewed her hamburger, one oversized bite at a time.
"So, Juni," Maggie began.  "How was the lever pulling station at work today?"
Sam looked up from a magazine article he had opened up, lying on the table next to his plate.  "Lever pulling?"
"It was fine, Maggie.  Nothing but lots of levers."
Sam began to question the lever pulling, but instead resumed his reading.
Margo noticed the infraction.  "Sam, what are you doing with a magazine at the table?  How do you expect to enforce our rules with the kids if you ignore them yourself?"
"Sorry."  Sam obediently closed the magazine and set it on the breakfast bar behind him.  Margo shot him one last disapproving look, to which he shrugged his shoulders before taking another bite and chewing in silence.
The four sat quietly, burgers in hand, chewing silently after each bite.  Maggie looked to her right at her father, and then back to the left at her mother.  She repeated that exercise, noting the awkward silence that grew with each bite from the hamburgers clutched by each person dutifully in both hands.  Finally the absurdity of it overtook the youngest member of the family and she began giggling.
Margo shot Maggie a cold look, displeased at her childish behavior.  She really did not appreciate her eldest son when the smirk formed on his face, sending Maggie into uncontrolled belly laughter.  Sam fought hard to stave off reacting to his daughter’s antics, but he too found the humor in the situation too ridiculous to ignore.
Finally Margo broke down.  "Oh, for goodness sakes.  Is my People magazine over there?  Just pass the magazines around."
Just then a loud roar bellowed in the distance, heard through the open window above the kitchen sink.
Maggie’s jaw dropped along with her burger.  "WHAT… Was THAT?"  she asked stunned by the intensity of the sound.
Sam and Juni shot over to the window peering out.  It was about a quarter till eight and though the sun was fading, it was still high enough in the sky for them to see out beyond the perimeter of their property.  Juni scanned the tree line slowly looking for any sign of movement, but it was completely still.
They all sat quietly, alternating between staring at the window and at each other.  Maggie had moved to her mother’s lap.  Before thirty seconds passed, another roar sounded, but not nearly as loud or as long.  Juni thought to himself that possibly it was moving further away.  Regardless of the direction it was heading it was too close to the Little household.
Maggie’s face lost all color.  She choked back the tears trying to keep a brave face.  "Mom, I’m scared."
"It’s okay honey."  Margo spoke in a whisper.  "I’m sure whatever it was, it’s moved on."  She waved her hand at Sam to slide the kitchen window closed.
Sam and Juni looked at each other.  They agreed with Margo that perhaps closing the window might be a good idea, yet the thought of making any noise that might draw the enormous beast their direction set them on edge.  Quietly Sam grabbed the lower edge of the window and gently applied downward pressure.  The window was as old as the house and took a little effort to move it up or down, so it remained in place until it suddenly jerked downward a few inches, making a modest amount of noise in the process.  Sam carefully continued pulling it closed making as little noise as possible in the process.  They all exhaled a little after the window was finally shut and latch secured, but they all remained quiet listening for any more evidence that the creature was still out there.
After a few minutes of silence Margo motioned to Sam towards the phone.  Speaking quietly she said "Don’t you think we should call the Sherriff’s office and let them know what we heard."
Sam nodded.  He picked up the phone and dialed the number.  As he sat on the line waiting for an answer he noticed how dusky it was getting outside and that the lights in the house might draw the beast's attention.  He covered the receiver.  "Juni, kill the lights."
Juni reached over and hit the switch turning off the lights in the kitchen, then walked over into the den and turned the lamp off rendering the house completely dark save the minimal light from the dusky sky through the kitchen window and the open panes of the French style back door.  It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the low level of light in the house, but within a few seconds they could see each other.  But seeing outside was much easier.
A voice answered the other end of the phone line.  "Sevier County Sheriff’s department.  How may I direct your call?"
"Hi, my name is Sam Little.  I live at 401 Pleasant View drive.  I… I think we heard the beast outside, near our house."
"Sir, Can you tell me exactly what you saw or heard?"  The operator’s voice cut through the silence in the Little's kitchen.  They all listened to both ends of the phone conversation.
"Well…"  Sam stood there with the phone in his ear unable to describe what he’d heard.
Juni, Margo and Maggie all stared at him wondering why he wasn’t explaining to the lady what they all heard.
"Dad…" Juni prodded his father.  "Tell her what we heard."
Sam raised his finger to his lips.
Juni turned and looked out the French door to see a giant bear walking on all fours through their backyard.  Juni caught Maggie’s eye and motioned for her to stay calm and quiet.
Margo had turned in her seat to see the giant creature outside and gripped Maggie in a tight hug.  "Shhh."
They all watched the enormous beast in the fading gray light saunter through the middle of their back yard.  Maggie’s play set stood just over eleven feet tall at its apex and just off center of their ample lawn.  The giant bear approached it slowly, sniffing the air for any signs of danger.  On all fours it was the size of a minivan with bulky arms as thick as twenty year old pines and a head that could have eclipsed a Chevy 327 small-block.  Its coloring was just like a typical black bear, with a velvety black coat and light brown snout.
For a moment the play set caught its attention and it rose up on its hind legs to further investigate.  The animal towered six feet over the top of the large yard toy and upon doing so elicited a tiny squeal from Maggie.  Margo covered Maggie’s eyes and bounced her gently in her lap as they watched the strange beast, less than thirty-five feet from their frail glass paned French door.
They all sat quietly except for Samuel who stood, watching the bear explore its newfound surroundings.  Suddenly they heard the voice on the other end of the line from the handset hanging down at Sam’s side still in hand.  "Sir?  SIR?"
Sam raised the phone to his ear and whispered into the receiver.  "I am staring out my window at a giant bear in my backyard."
"You’re what?  Did you say you have a bear in your backyard.  Sir, you need to call animal control."
"No ma’am, you don’t understand.  I’m looking at THE giant bear in my backyard."
"Oh.  Please hold the line."

Amber held the receiver to her chest glancing back over her shoulder to see if Doc was still in his office.  Most of the post-funeral traffic from that afternoon had long since cleared out leaving behind only the normal skeleton crew that composed the night shift in the Sherriff’s department, but Doc had lingered, sifting through the case files of the mysterious animal mutilations.  But his office was empty leaving Amber to take a quick survey of the floor until she spotted Derrick Larson sitting at his desk, idle at the moment checking out real-estate listings online.
"Derrick, I’m transferring you a call."
Derrick turned and nodded in acknowledgement.  He picked up the receiver.  "Officer Larson, how can I help you this evening."
Derrick’s casual demeanor disappeared as he listened to Sam Little describe the enormous animal on his property.  He jotted down a few notes before transferring the call back to Amber with instructions to keep Mr. Little on the line.  Then he placed another call.
"Doc, this is Derrick, we have a live sighting of the animal in the southeast corner of the county, 401 Pleasant View, residence of Sam Little.  The animal is not acting aggressive at the moment."
Derrick paused to listen to the instructions Doc gave him.  When he hung up with him he placed two more calls before grabbing his keys and heading out the door.  He reassured Amber as he passed he desk.  "Just keep him on the line and let us know if the situation changes."

Sam kept the phone to his ear but said nothing, save the occasional one word response to the woman on the other end of the line.  The bear had not left but had wandered in and out of sight from Sam’s vantage point tethered to the wall by the phone.  Juni on the other hand moved quietly between the kitchen and the living room keeping an eye on the giant’s whereabouts.  The Little homestead had caught the bear’s curiosity as it plodded in and around the expansive backyard.
The Little’s backyard was anchored by two features in the back corners of their property.  Margo had cultivated a large vegetable garden in the southwest corner of the yard, away from the house.  Across the yard in the southeast corner they had built a small barn style storage shed.  The family could see the bear as it roamed about their tranquil slice of the Appalachian mountain range.  They watched it through the kitchen door that faced due south.  The small glass paned door was situated on the eastern end of their home, closer to the shed than the garden.  From their vantage point in the breakfast nook they could see Maggie’s play set, the vegetable garden, part of the shed and the bird bath next to it.  Obscured from their view were the shrubs that lined the western edge of their back yard and the gravel driveway that ran along the east edge of their property.
The bear spent a solid ten minutes sniffing around the play set in the center of the yard.  It looked strangely tranquil, a gentle giant exploring an unfamiliar landscape in the middle of his back yard.  After satisfying his curiosity with the play set he wandered off towards the garden.  Finding it of little interest he followed the line of shrubs toward the house escaping the view of Sam standing furthest from the back door at the phone and Margo and Maggie who sat at the kitchen table in the chair closest to the door.  Juni moved around the room keeping an eye on the creature.  He was the only one who could see it as it headed towards the back of the house but eventually lost it as it drew closer to the back of the house.  The kitchen cabinets obscured Juni’s view of the corner of the yard nearest the house.  Without standing directly in the doorway he couldn’t track the movement of the bear.  Given the vulnerable position that would place him, he opted to hold his position hoping for the bear to reappear on a path leading away from the house.
Two very long minutes passed.  Juni stood in place, waiting patiently for the bear to reappear.  Outside daylight was fading, casting even darker shadows inside the unlit house.  A sense of anxiety grew in the room.  The shrubs formed a six foot hedge that ran all the way up to the house, creating a barrier the bear would have to climb through or otherwise be forced to backtrack across the yard, back into the line of sight of the Littles who were trapped inside their home until they could confirm their visitor had left.  Finally Juni made a move towards the door which elicited a worrisome groan from his mom.  Ignoring her reaction he slowly stepped around the edge of the kitchen counter leaving nothing but three feet of open air between himself and the thin panes of glass comprising the decorative door.  He leaned forward slowly peering into the area of the yard obscured from his view.  He exhaled slightly unable to see the beast.  Still there was at least a fifteen foot wedge of the yard he could not see from his vantage point.  Short of pressing his face against the glass there was little he could do to see more of the yard.
Out front, the sound of a car pulling into the gravel drive drew their attention for a moment away from the back door.  Juni turned back towards the backyard.  Red and blue lights streaked across the landscape drawing Juni’s eyes toward the east corner and the small barn prominently lit by the flashing lights in contrast to the dark void behind it.  Juni watched as the head lights pulled closer to the storage shed.  The loud sound of a police radio accompanied a bright beam of light that swept across the backyard pausing momentarily when it hit Maggie’s play set in the middle of the yard.  Juni glanced back towards the corner of the yard where he last spotted the bear, freezing at the sight of the enormous creature’s head hovering just a few feet away from where he stood, separated only by a few thin panes of glass.  The animal stared at Juni eye to eye.  The two paused for a moment before the beam of light swept across the face of the bear.
The bear reared up on its hind legs bellowing loudly his displeasure at having the floodlight in his face, towering nearly twenty feet in the air.  Juni quickly moved away from the door as Maggie briefly let out a scream before Margo could clamp her hand over her little mouth to squelch it.  Margo leapt up from her chair with Maggie wrapped around her neck running towards the front of the house led by Juni and followed by Sam.
Out front two more cars with flashing lights pulled off the road into the Little’s driveway.  Officer Larson, having arrived first on the scene, stood in the open door of his cruiser, gun drawn, but frozen at the sight of the enormous bear.  Doc Rainey drove the first of the two cars, pulling his cruiser up directly behind Derrick’s squad car.  Hearing the ominous roars from the back of the house, he grabbed his hunting rifle out of the passenger seat and joined Derrick at his patrol car.  Derrick’s spotlight shined on the lower half of the bear still reared up on his hind legs in a defensive stance.  Doc grabbed his torch light shining it up in the face of the agitated bear, prompting another bone rattling roar from the great beast, its fangs flashing in the bright light.
Doc handed Larson the torch light.  "Derrick, take this.  Keep the light in his face."
Doc picked his rifle up and checked the magazine.  It wasn’t loaded.  "Damn.  Keep that light on him."
Doc ran back to his squad car to grab a box of ammo.  Another officer was climbing out of the squad car that had pulled up next to Doc’s when they both heard shots being fired.   Doc turned to see the bear land, first with his front, followed by his back paws on top of Derrick’s squad car crushing the roof and jolting Derrick to the ground.  But the animal didn’t pause.  It bounded off the flattened car and within seconds disappeared into the darkness.  Doc rushed up to find Derrick lying on the ground, startled, scraped and bruised from the fall, but otherwise okay.  He stared into the dark tree line disgusted with himself for missing the best opportunity he’d had to take down the menacing giant terrorizing their small community.
Inside the darkened house the Littles huddled tightly together in a state of shock, relieved to have made it through the ordeal unscathed, considering how close they had come to the beast responsible for killing two people and scaring a third one to death.  It was bigger than any of them had imagined save the littlest Little.  She had known it to be a monster all along, though she was not happy at all to be proven right.  Shots had been fired but they had no idea if the bear had been taken down or not.
Sam peered through the blinds into the front yard where the red and blue lights continued flashing.  Another car pulled into the yard and was greeted by one of the officers on the scene.  All signs indicated the danger was gone.
Juni went to the back door, slowly opening it and poking his head out to survey the scene.  His jaw dropped at the sight of the crushed squad car, but he saw no sign of their unwanted visitor.  Sam and Margo looked at him, each with hope in their expression quickly dashed by the knowing nod from Juni telling them that the beast had escaped.  Maggie saw it too.  Her bottom lip began to quiver.
Juni squatted to one knee addressing his sister eye to eye.  "It’s gonna be okay Maggie.  It’s just a bear.  A very large, very scared bear, but it’s just a bear.  He was just curious, that’s all."
Maggie wrapped her arms around her brother’s neck.  "Juni, don’t lie to me."
"Hey, squirt.  I’m not lying.  I saw him, face to face.  He looked as scared of me as I was of him, just like we’ve always heard.  They are as afraid of us as we are of them."
Maggie nodded but didn’t look convinced.
Sam flipped on the light in the foyer as well as the lights on the front porch and walked out to see if there was more to learn about the situation.  Juni followed his dad onto the front porch.  There were five emergency vehicles on their property, all with their lights flashing.  They spotted Doc Rainey walking over on the side of the house pointing to a few other men describing what he had seen.  Juni spotted Officer Derrick Larson excitedly retelling the experience from his perspective.  He didn’t recognize him at first, but something was familiar about his face.  Within a few seconds he had him placed.  Out of uniform he looked quite a bit different than the man Amanda was talking to at the office earlier that afternoon, but there was no mistaking that angled jaw, prominent chin and thick neck.  He had it all going for him, good looking, upstanding cop, and soon to be town hero with his recent close encounter with the beast of Sevier County.  If Amanda didn’t already have him in her sights she soon would.
Juni chuckled at himself, getting jealous over a girl he had no chance with in the first place, how ridiculous.  Still there was something about that girl that had infiltrated his defenses.  He knew better than to fall for her, but he put up almost no resistance when she flashed that first smile his way.
"Juni, are you okay."  Sam had caught Juni staring off, deep in his thoughts.
"Yeah, dad.  I’m fine."
"Don’t worry son.  They’ll catch that bear.  I doubt we’ll ever see him again."
Juni stared at the young officer, still engaged in recounting the tale he would share with Amanda the next time he saw her.  "Yeah, dad.  You’re probably right.  I’m sure it’ll all work out."
CHAPTER NINE

Doc sat quietly at his desk sipping his rapidly cooling cup of coffee.  He was deep in thought.  He knew there was some strange phenomenon behind the death of his best friend and mentor, but seeing it with his own eyes changed things.  He held onto that single shred of doubt that something he could rationally explain was at the root of all the mayhem.  That shred disappeared with the tailwind of that enormous bear that night.  There was no rational explanation for an eighteen foot black bear.
Officer Larson was certain that he hit the animal with the two shots he got off, somewhere in the area of its head and neck.  They ran search teams out that next morning trying to find a trace of the large animal, with no luck.  He had put in a call to Deputy Lewis for the blood hound unit that morning.  They were due in early that afternoon.  There was ample scent evidence left at the scene that should have provided the dogs a lead to follow.  Sitting there waiting didn’t help matters and put him on edge, but until the dogs arrived there was no other lead to follow.

Maggie sat on a stool behind the counter carefully filling in the picture in her coloring book with a red crayon.  Margo sat quietly beside her, flipping through the pages of her People magazine.  The store was empty except for the store owner and his wife and youngest child.  It had been a slow day for a Friday in their busy season, just another concern for Samuel Little as he sat in the back office catching up on some of the book work that needed to be done.   The familiar clanging of the front door chimes garnered the attention of Margo who glanced up from her reading to greet their patron with a warm smile.
"Good afternoon.  Welcome to The Little Arts and Souvenir Shop."
A tall thin framed man with wiry brown hair returned a cautious smile.  "Hello."
He stood there looking a bit uncomfortable as he slowly surveyed the store from the spot where he entered.  Margo looked inquisitively his direction for only a moment, when she felt she was in part contributing to the awkwardness of the situation and opted to find busy work for herself behind the counter.  The man eventually moved further into the shop and began milling up and down the rows of merchandise, still acting a bit strange.  Margo returned to her magazine after a few moments giving her customer his due space.  The art of souvenir selling was quite subdued, unlike many other retail establishments.  There was not a lot of ancillary information to provide to the prospective customer about the products on the shelves.  The objective was to create a warm and inviting space for the consumer to move about and let their eye take them to what interested them most.  Eventually the peculiar man’s eye led him directly to the sales counter clutching a hat he had carried in with him, in both hands.
Margo glanced up, smiling again.  "Yes, can I help you with something?"
"Uh, yes.  I suppose.  Are you by chance, Margo Little?"
Surprised partly by the mention of her name and partly by his subtle British accent, Margo replied, "Yes, that’s me.  Why do you ask?"
The man smiled, relaxing a bit for the first time since he had entered the store.  "I’m sorry.  My name is Alan Fleming.  I was told you had seen the… the giant bear… last night."
Margo’s smile vanished.  Maggie looked up at her mom hearing the mention of the giant bear.  Margo shot the man a disapproving look while grabbing Maggie by the shoulders and ushering her quickly to the back office.  "Maggie, why don’t you color in here for a bit while I talk to this man out here."
"But, Mom!  I wanna hear what’s going on."
"Nothing is going on."  Margo glanced at Samuel who had been listening to the exchange out front.  "Keep her back here while I get…"  She lowered her voice to a soft growl.  "…while I get rid of him."
Margo returned to the sales counter, visibly distraught by the topic of conversation the man had chosen.
"I’m sorry Mrs. Little," he began again.  "I didn’t mean to upset you or your daughter."
"Look, sir.  I don’t know where you got your information, but I have little interest in discussing what we saw last night, especially in front of my daughter, especially with a stranger!"
"I understand, Mrs. Little, but if I could just ask you a few questions…"
"Mr. Fleming, I’m sorry to cut you off but we are really not interested in talking about what we saw last night.  If you want information, you need to talk to the Sherriff’s department.  They know more about what is going on anyway."
The man looked as if he would try one last time to convince Margo to cooperate, then he dropped his shoulders, conceding the point.  "Thank you Mrs. Little.  I’m sorry to have bothered you."  He nodded and headed towards the door, but stopped suddenly, seeing a one of the framed photographs hanging on the wall.
He stared at the photo for a few seconds before tuning and commenting.  "Can I ask where you found this photograph?"
"It’s one my husband took.  He took all of the photographs we sell in this shop."
"Really, this one is quite amazing.  A picture of three bear cubs playing would be very rare I would think."
"Yes, it is.  It’s our best seller."
"I can see why.  The Arrangement…  That’s a peculiar name for that photo."
"Yes, I suppose, but you can see there on the crate, the printed letters, and their feet spilling out of the crate like flowers.  My husband thought it to be the natural choice."
The man turned back for a closer look.  "Yes, I see it now.  The obvious choice.  Thank you for your time."

The giant creature pushed through the thick underbrush moving away from the cacophony of barking dogs on his trail.  He limped, slightly favoring his front right arm over his left, where he had caught two bullets near his shoulder from Officer Larson’s .38 special.  But the injury hadn’t slowed him much at all.  The two slugs were not much more than a slight irritant lodged six inches into the thick muscle mass of his shoulder.  But the dogs made him nervous and he moved with deliberation towards the rough and familiar terrain beyond the foothills, into the peaks of the Smoky Mountains.

"We’ve got a solid trail," Officer Thompson barked into his radio.  "At this point we are just trying to keep up with the dogs.  We are well inside the park boundaries, getting into the higher elevations.  Still heading on the southeast line we’ve been on the past hour."
"Roger that," replied the voice over the radio.  "We’ve advised the park rangers of the situation.  They are staying clear."
The terrain ahead of them was getting steeper quickly.  The four scent hounds tethered to their assigned officers from the Sheriff's office in Pittman bayed and howled feverishly with the scent of their chase strong in their nostrils.  They had to be close.  The animal was also leaving a small trail of blood along the way ensuring Zach that the trail was true.  Doc put him in charge of the lead team on the hunt for the beast, having proven himself with the last search mission that ended with the disheartening discovery of their fallen leader.  He also wanted a younger crew with the dogs, figuring they would have to move at a quick pace for a few hours.  Zach had already proved his worth again on their trek, redirecting the animals on two occasions when they picked up a few false trails.  Daylight was on his side at the moment, with a solid four hours left before it would begin to fade, but they had to press on at an aggressive pace to keep up with the rogue animal, or their advantage would quickly be lost.
Officer Beemer peered up the hill through a pair of binoculars, looking for any visual signs of the bear up the side of the mountain.  An animal that large could move twenty year pines like they were saplings.  The forest was too dense to see much beyond forty yards.  There were no visible signs of motion from where he stood, but he could sense they were getting close, they all felt it.   The steepening grade slowed their ascent, but they pressed onward.
Doc remained at the base camp for the operation, tracking Zach’s team’s progress, calculating their trajectory and dispatching three other teams of four men to points a few miles southeast of their location.   Doc’s radio scratched out a few bursts of static before a clear transmission broke through.  "Doc, Gamma team is in position.  And I have visuals on Beta and Delta teams."  Another voice crackled across the radio.  "Delta team in position."
Doc squeezed the button on his transceiver.  "Roger that Delta and Gamma."
A few moments later he got confirmation from Beta team.  All teams were in the best positions to snare the giant bear.  It was just a matter of time and patience.
Zach’s voice came across the airwaves.  "Doc, it looks like the animal has shifted course about ten degrees to the south.  I’m at 35.14215 by 83.67912 heading south southeast, one hundred fifty degrees."
Doc ran his fingers across the map stopping at the spot where Zach just reported his coordinates.  He grabbed his pencil drawing the new trajectory, placing it several hundred yards to the east of the Beta-Delta-Gamma net he had established.  "Beta, Gamma, Delta," Doc spoke into the transceiver.  "Subject has altered course.  I need you all to move quickly, four hundred yards due east."  He released the button and waited for a few seconds.
"Roger that.  Team Delta moving four hundred yards due east."
"Ditto.  Beta on the move."
"Gamma team moving four hundred yards due east."
Doc pulled his hat off and tossed it on the hood of his cruiser onto one corner of the map he had spread out tracking the movements of his teams.  He wiped his brow with the short sleeve of his uniform.  That was the part he found most difficult.  Waiting.  He would have liked to be one of the four teams deployed in the path of the giant beast or on its tail, but he knew he needed to be right where he was, running point.  But the waiting drove him crazy.
After just a few minutes of silence the radio cracked and popped back to life.  "We have a visual on the target."
Doc couldn’t discern through the static which team was reporting in.  He anxiously grabbed the receiver but spoke slowly and deliberately.  "Which team reported the sighting of the bear."
No reply.
Doc waited just a few seconds.  "This is Doc.  Please report back, which team has the target in sight."
Doc sat still listening for the reply.  A few short bursts of static were the only sounds in return.
"Goddamn it!  Someone report in."
Finally the radio squelched and a voice was heard as well as dogs barking in the background.  "Doc, this is Beta team."  The voice labored over the airwaves, out of breath.  "We have visual on the bear, pursuing him now.  Alpha team is right behind us.  I think Delta is close as well.  Oh God!"
The radio went silent again but not before Doc heard a loud roar through the static infused transmission.
"Jim," Doc called back to his Beta team lead.  "Jim, do you read me.  Zach, do you have visual on Beta team."
"Doc, This is Zach… team Alpha.  Negative.  We do not have visual on… wait, cancel that.  I do see Jim… Oh my."
"Oh my what?" Doc spat impatiently into the radio.
"They have the bear cornered.  We are moving in to assist."

Jim Addison worked his way cautiously to his right, keeping his eye on the enormous bear standing on its hind legs towering almost twenty feet off the ground.  He had his rifle slung over his shoulder, radio still in hand, using neither.  The other three men on his team had their weapons ready and trained on the huge animal which had backed him up to a ledge.  The bear bellowed fiercely at the team of four men as the barking dogs charged toward the bear covering the left flank of Delta team.  Jim’s men had an open shot at the bears chest but Jim gave the order to hold their fire until they had backup.  As the Gamma team, led by George Valentine, approached from behind, Jim motioned for them to cover his right flank.  The bear's roars sounded with greater intensity as it felt itself being encircled by the men.  Suddenly it dropped to all fours and began moving to its left, towards the Gamma team.
They had lost their best shot, the bear’s open chest.  The men held their fire.  George jumped out towards the bear raising his rifle in both hands above his head and shouting loudly.  The bear reared up again, a typical reaction for a bear uncommitted to an attack.  It was a bold risk that paid off, once again opening the large chest of the animal to the rifles of the men.  That time they did not hesitate and several shots cracked through the still air striking the bear in the center of his chest.  The animal emitted a panged cry stepping backwards on its hind legs, finding unsure footing near the edge of the ridge behind it.  It lost its balance and fell onto its side crying out with a loud huff as it hit the ridge before it rolled off and disappeared over the ledge.
The men looked at each other stunned by the events.  The dogs continued howling until their handlers finally gave them the command to disengage.  Jim’s radio crackled to life.  "Jim?  What’s your status?"
"It’s over Doc.  The bear is dead."
The radio sat silent for a long pause.  "Are you sure?"
Jim walked up to the ledge peering down into the shadows of the steep ravine.  "Pretty sure.  He fell into a ravine.  Can’t see him, but we got several shots into his chest.  He went down hard.  And from the looks of this ravine he would have had to survive a pretty big fall."

Doc surveyed the sky.  Daylight was beginning to fade.  "You’re sure he’s dead."
"Yes, Doc," a different voice answered.  It was George.  "He’s dead.  No animal could have survived that many hits to the chest… or that fall.  He’s dead."
"Okay.  I’ll meet you boys back at the station.  Good work."
CHAPTER TEN

The sun rose above the eastern horizon only thirty-five seconds earlier than it had the day before but the mood in the sleepy little town of Gatlinburg would have convinced you it jumped into the sky an hour ahead of schedule.  The delivery man unloading crates of produce for the local grocer sang a taught little verse between heaves, stacking his goods on a shiny red hand truck.  The postman rounded the corner onto 3rd street in front of the Salty Sow, lugging an overstuffed parcel bag whistling his own tune as he bounced on heel and toe, nodding to any eye he caught along the way.  The foul fog that threatened to choke the lifeblood from their tiny slice of Americana had been lifted, and everyone was ready to celebrate.
Inside the Salty Sow the sound of plates rattling and the sizzle of breakfast meats cooking on the flat cooktop in the kitchen filled the small diner, along with the numerous conversations of the packed booths lining the windowed store front.  The mood of the small town diner was more than upbeat.  It was the busiest breakfast shift Sharon Reynolds, sole proprietor of the Gatlinburg mainstay, had seen in over a month.  News about the slaying of the beast travelled quickly through the small town and the surrounding area.  Being a tourist town, rumors about such things as a giant killer bear might have sounded appealing to the adventurous spirit of the traveler, but news of dead sheriffs and dismembered teenage boys pushed the discerning vacationer towards Disneyworld or the Smithsonian.  With the menacing presence gone, the tourist season could be saved, and that was a relief to all the constituents of Sevier County on top of feeling safe outside their homes, none more so than Samuel Little.
The Littles occupied one of those booths that morning, with a cheery faced Maggie enjoying a tall stack of pancakes, swinging her feet back and forth under the bench seat.  Juni sat across from his little sister, silently picking at his food while his family swapped stories they had been suppressing over the past few days.  A cloud had been lifted, a burden removed.  With clearer heads and hearty appetites they enjoyed their meal more than any other over the past week, all except Juni.
"What’s with you son?" Samuel asked with a bite of sausage tucked into his cheek.
"Huh?  Oh nothing."
"You look like someone ran over your dog," Maggie chimed in.  "And we don’t even have a dog."  Maggie grinned and started to giggle.
Juni returned a half smile before he resumed picking at his eggs.
"Honey," his mom started in on him.  "What’s wrong?  Something bothering you?"
"No, mom.  I’m fine.  I’ll be fine.  Really it’s nothing."
Margo decided not to press him any further and let it go.  "Well, it looks like it is going to be a gorgeous day today.  I bet the store is going to be crazy today.  Not like yesterday, it was so dead.  And then there was that strange man with the foreign accent.  Wanting to hear about that stupid bear."  Margo began cutting her food into smaller and smaller bites, a nervous habit of hers when something was bothering her.
Samuel reached out and put his hand on his wife’s, giving it a gentle squeeze.  "It’s okay dear, the bear is gone now.  We all made it through the experience, no worse for the wear."
Margo let out a deep sigh.  "I know, I know.  It was just so…"
"I know dear.  But we’re all okay.  And now we have a great story to tell our friends… someday."
"So, what was the deal with the guy asking about the bear?" Juni asked.
Margo replied, "Well, nothing special really.  He knew that we had a close encounter with the bear and just wanted to ask a few questions."
Juni resumed picking at his food.  "So how did he know we had seen the bear up close?"
"He didn’t say.  And I didn’t ask.  I was probably a little abrupt with the man.  I guess he could have been a reporter or something."
"Hmm... Did he say he was a reporter?"
"Well, no.  But I didn’t really give him a chance to explain.  He did mention his name… though it escapes me now."
"Well, if he was a reporter you should have directed him to Officer Larson."
"Is that the name of the officer who almost got trampled by the bear?  Oh, yes.  I saw him after all the excitement the other night.  He certainly is a good looking young man."
That last comment stuck in Juni’s ribs like a knife.  He shifted in his seat and stared down at his cold eggs.  "Hmm, well he’s the home town hero now.  I’m sure we can read his whole story pretty soon."
Samuel picked up on Juni’s reaction to his mother’s comment about Officer Larson.  "Do you know Officer Larson, Juni?"
"No, I know someone who knows him."
"Oh, really?  Who?"  Juni’s mom asked.  She had not picked up Juni’s cold tone when referencing the home town hero.  Samuel nudged her with his foot under the table causing a not so subtle reaction on her part.  "Sorry, I was just curious."
"Amanda Pressman… from work."
Margo wrinkled her brow at the mention of the name.  She knew it sounded familiar.  "Oh!  I know who that is," she finally exclaimed.  "She’s that gorgeous girl from your school.  I think she graduated last year."
"Yes, mom.  That’s her."
"You should ask her out."
"She has a boyfriend mom."
"She does?  Who is it?  It’s no surprise.  She is simply a stunning young woman."
"Derrick Larson.  She’s dating Derrick Larson."
"The cute officer Larson.  Oh, well that makes sense.  What a perfect couple.  I bet they…"
Margo finally stopped with another tap under the table from Samuel’s shoe.
"They’re not dating," Maggie interjected.
Juni jerked his head toward his sister, shooting her a skeptic look.  "What?  How would you know?"  He had just assumed they were dating based on the few interactions between the pair.
"They’re engaged."
Juni’s look quickly morphed from skepticism to denial.  "You don’t even know who we’re talking about Maggie."
"I sure do.  My friend Sarah… Larson… she’s his little sister.  We were playing dress up the other day and she told me all about the wedding she is going to be in.  Amanda asked her to be one of her bride’s maids."
Juni sank in his seat.  He had no idea she was engaged.  His last dream of asking her out shattered in the wake of his kid sister’s play date.  Juni dropped his fork on his plate, having barely touched anything on it.
Samuel caught Margo’s eye before she blurted anything else out to make the situation worse for their son.  She finally seemed to catch on to the undercurrent of the conversation.
Across the diner Doc Rainey entered and took an open seat at the breakfast counter.  One of the waitresses smiled broadly from behind the counter and gave him a quick pat on the hand as he situated himself on the stool.  Doc nodded back in appreciation for the gesture.  Everyone in town felt terrible about the loss of Sheriff Washburn, so the news about the slaying of the animal responsible for his death had topped all the casual conversations between the waitresses and their customers grabbing breakfast that morning.
Margo spotted Doc at the breakfast counter.  "Oh, look, it’s officer Rainey.  If anyone was more relieved than us to see that horrible creature gone for good it would have to be poor old Doc Rainey."  Margo paused for just a moment seeing a man approach Doc from behind.  "Oh, Lord, not him again."
Juni turned to see who his mother was complaining about.  "Who is that?"
"That’s the guy that came in our store yesterday asking questions about the bear."
"Mr. Fleming," Maggie interjected.
Everyone turned to look at Maggie.  Juni pressed his sister for more details.  "Mr. Fleming?"
"Yeah, that was his name.  And he liked dad’s picture of the bear cubs."
"Did he?"
"Yep."
"Yes," Margo continued.  "I suppose that name sounds about right.  Regardless, I wish he’d leave poor old Doc alone though.  I don’t know if he’s a reporter or just some weirdo, but Doc needs to just put this whole thing behind him.  We all do."
Maggie continued to sop up the last bit of syrup on her plate with a healthy forkful of pancakes.  "We should do this more often Dad.  This place makes a great breakfast."

The tall thin man leaned in towards Doc, introducing himself, speaking with a light British accent.  "Good morning Deputy Rainey, my name is Alan Fleming.  If I could trouble you for a few moments I’d like to ask you a few questions about the animal your men took down last night."
Doc twisted his torso on his seat to see who was pestering him.  "I’m sorry, Mr. Fleming, but who are you representing?"
"I’m only representing myself sir, just a concerned citizen."
"Concerned citizen?"  Doc huffed in disbelief.  "You don’t sound like you’re from around these parts."
"Well, no sir, I suppose that’s true, but I do have some very legitimate concerns that I’d like to discuss with you.  If now is not a good time I understand."
Doc shook his head.  It was hard for him to put his finger on exactly what annoyed him with the man, but whatever it was he wanted no part of his bullshit.  "Now is not a good time.  Why don’t you stop by the Sherriff’s office on your way out of town and file a report if there’s a concern you’d like to raise."
"I see.  I think I may have picked an inopportune moment to bother you, Deputy.  I apologize for the intrusion."
Doc worked up a polite smile and nodded, watching George Valentine enter the small dining room and approach from behind the departing Mr. Fleming.
George shot Fleming a disdainful look as he squeezed past him taking the open stool next to Doc.  "So who was that?"
"Nobody… just a busy body.  So have we recovered the carcass yet?"
"Not yet.  I got my wires crossed with a few of the guys.  I think Larry and Kenneth both headed out for the day to go fishing.  We’ll have to try tomorrow morning."
"Can’t you just grab a few guys and go get it?"
"No, we need Larry and his towing winch.  The bear fell into a crevice.  It’s a real tight space.  It’s gonna be tricky getting him out of there."
Doc’s expression dipped with the notion that the bear would not be retrieved that day.  "I don’t know George.  I won’t be able to put this behind me until I see it dead with my own two eyes."
"Doc, he’s dead.  I swear to it.  We’ll recover the body tomorrow.  You worry too much.  That’s not healthy for a man your age."  George waved down the waitress.  "I’ll have the Salty Sow sampler and a cup of coffee."
"You talk about me… and then you order that?  Talk about unhealthy."
"The difference is I am going to enjoy my breakfast while you sit around stewing on something you can’t control.  You need to let it go."  George pressed his palms together, fingers pointed up.  "Find your inner chi."
Doc chuckled at George’s antics.  "My inner chi, huh?  You are completely full of it."
"I will be as soon as someone brings me my order."
CHAPTER ELEVEN

Juni streaked across the open field, leaping into the air towards the football flying over his head, able to catch it after disrupting its flight and bobbling it in front of him as he ran.  His friend, Andrew, caught up to him and wrangled him to the turf before he could turn up field, twenty-eight yards short of the goal line.  Juni had a distinct disadvantage in size when compared to his class mates, but he was quick.  He was convinced he would have made it to the end zone had he caught the ball cleanly on the run.  He was probably right.
He and seven of his buddies had arranged for a quick four on four tackle football game on their old high school practice field, a frequent activity for that group.  It had been several weeks since he and his friends had gathered as a complete group excluding graduation.  After the final play of the afternoon Juni walked gingerly to his Jeep, slightly favoring his left knee.
Andrew caught up to him in the parking lot.  "So, we haven’t talked in a few weeks.  Did I hear correctly…  the bear was in your backyard?"
"Yeah, you heard right."
"Did you get a good look at it?"
"Yeah, you could say I got a pretty good look."
"Crazy, man.  This has just been crazy, with Blaine and Brock, and then the sheriff… a twenty foot bear.  Who would believe this stuff?"
"Yeah, it was pretty crazy I suppose."
Andrew shook his head in disbelief.  "Yeah, so how is it going at Larson?"
"Pretty good."
"Hey, didn’t I see in the paper an officer Larson… he’s the one that first shot the bear.  Gave the police a strong trail to follow.  Shot him in your dang backyard!"
"Yeah, that was him."
"Is that the same Larson family that runs the chicken plant?"
"Yep, that’s the family."
"Wow, do you ever see him there?  Well, I guess you wouldn’t.  He’s a cop."
"Right, no I suppose I wouldn’t expect to see him there."
"Well anyway, that guy’s awesome.  Shooting a bear with a freakin’ .38 special.  You gotta have some balls to stand your ground and take that shot."
"Yeah, I suppose."
Another friend, Cedric White, had walked up just as Andrew finished prattling on to Juni’s annoyance, about the amazing bravery of Derrick Larson.
"Are you guys talking about that cop that shot that bear… with his side arm.  Damn!"
"Yes, Cedric," Juni admitted begrudgingly.
"Don’t be a hater, Juni.  That man deserves a medal or something.  This boy woulda been running the opposite way if that bear come a runnin’ at me."
"Don’t be stupid, Cedric.  You know you’re never supposed to turn and run from a bear."
"Dude, do you hear yourself?  This ain’t no ordinary run-o-the-mill Tennessee black bear.  This was a freakin’ monster."
"Still," Juni reasoned.  "The same rules apply man."
"Whatever.  Don’t matter, nine times outta ten I’m gonna run.  And that’s after I pee myself."
"Then nine times outta ten, you are that bear’s afternoon snack."
"Did you not just see me out there?  White Lightening?  Do you have an eye problem or a bad memory?"
Andrew laughed.  "White Lightening.  The only thing white on you is your teeth."
"Check the name on the jersey, fool.  You dumb ass bigot."
Juni wailed loudly as Andrew stood there dumbfounded at his gaff.  "Sorry man.  I didn’t mean anything by it."
"I know you didn’t fool.  I’m just bustin’ on your dumb ol’ white ass."  Cedric laughed and slapped Andrew on the shoulder.  "But you right.  I got the purtiest pearly whites don’t I?"
Andrew smiled cautiously, unsure if he was being set up or not.  "Yes, Cedric.  I wasn’t lying.  You do have an amazing set of teeth."
"Anyway," Cedric shifted the conversation back to the original topic.  "That Derrick Larson is one bad ass.  My sister graduated the same year as he did, two years ago.  She said he was a stud then too.  I heard he was dating that Amanda Pressman chick, the one that graduated last year.  Ooh wee, that is one fine lady."
Andrew perked up at the mention of Amanda’s name.  "Oh, yeah.  I know who you’re talking about.  Yeah, man she is the hottest girl to come out of GPH in a long time.  Hey, Juni, my brother said she works at Larson.  Have you ever seen her there?"
Juni couldn’t seem to escape the topic.  "Yeah, she works in the office."
"Aw, yeah.  That makes sense.  I wouldn’t think a girl like that would work on the lines slinging dead birds around."
"Hey, man," Cedric said, interrupting.  "My sister works on the line in that plant.  What you trying to say about my sister?"
"I’m not saying anything."  Andrew said quickly back peddling.  "She’s a fine looking woman."
"What?  So now you’re all into my sister.  You stay away from my sister.  You hear me now?"
Andrew recoiled slightly as Cedric became more and more demonstrative as he spoke.  He paused for a moment before relaxing.  "You’re just messing with me again aren’t you?"
Cedric held the stern look on his face for a few seconds before bellowing an over emphatic laugh.  "Yeah man.  I’m just bustin’ on you again."  He grabbed Andrew on the shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.  "Still, you stay away from my sister."
Across the lot a white Pontiac Grand Prix slowly pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine.  A tall thin man climbed out of the car and stood inside his opened car door staring at the trio of Juni, Andrew and Cedric.  Cedric’s demeanor suddenly changed, and the smiles and laughter disappeared.
"I’ll talk to you guys later."
Juni and Andrew watched as Cedric sauntered up to the man.
"I wonder what that’s about?" Juni asked, rhetorically more so than directed at Andrew.
"No clue," Andrew replied.
"Although that man does look somewhat familiar." Juni added under his breath.  The man did look familiar though he couldn’t immediately place him.  The pair stood by Juni’s Jeep blatantly staring at Cedric and the stranger carrying on a conversation until Juni suddenly realized they had stopped talking.  The stranger stared back at Juni and Andrew.
"Umm, Andrew," Juni said.  "Maybe we should give them a little space."
Andrew was a little slower to pick up on the harsh stares returned in their direction from both the tall stranger and Cedric.  "Oh, yeah.  Sure.  Okay, well I guess I’ll see you later Juni."
"Yeah, I’ll catch you later." Juni climbed into his Jeep.  He could still see the pair talking in his side view mirror.  As he turned the ignition it finally came to him where he had seen that man before.  He’d seen him earlier that morning in the Salty Sow diner talking over the shoulder of Doc Rainey, Mr. Fleming, if he remembered the name correctly.

On the drive home his cell phone began buzzing in the cup holder.  His mom was calling.
"Hey mom, what’s up?"
"Juni, your sister is playing over at a friend’s house and I’m in the middle of cooking dinner and your father is stuck at the store.  Can you please pick her up on your way home?"
"Sure, mom.  Where is she?"
"She’s over at Stephanie Larson’s house, 131 Pine Grove Lane."
Juni sighed.  The kid sister of the hero of Sevier County, of course, why wouldn’t she be there?  "Sure mom.  No problem."
Juni hung up the phone and tossed it back in the cup holder.  "Great.  Hopefully he won’t be there."

Juni pulled up in front of the Larson home on the quiet neighborhood street.  The sun was beginning to hang lower in the southwestern sky, casting long shadows of the tall pines across the well-manicured lawn of the Larson homestead.  Juni rang the doorbell and waited patiently, silently reaffirming his hope that the elder brother of Stephanie was somewhere else, doing heroic things or eating a donut.
The door swung open.  A middle aged woman with graying hair greeted him warmly.  "Hello, you must be Juni."
"Yes ma’am," Juni replied.
"Your mother called and said you would be over in a few minutes to collect your precious little sister."
"Yes ma’am.  I hope I’m not interrupting anything."
"Not at all, not at all.  I was just in the kitchen working on dinner.  Please come on in.  I’ll go get your sister moving in the right direction."
"Thank you ma’am."
Mrs. Larson left Juni in the entryway, heading back towards the back part of the house.  Juni walked to the edge of the entry way that opened into the main living area where he could hear a baseball game broadcast.  On the sofa he recognized Mr. Larson as one of the executives he had seen in and around the offices of Larson Poultry processing plant.  He’d never met Mr. Larson face to face.  There were three Mr. Larson’s working in the offices at the plant, that Juni knew of.  That Mr. Larson was one of two sons of the owner.
Next to Stephanie’s father with his back to Juni sat Derrick.  Juni began to edge backward into the entryway out of sight of the family when Mr. Larson caught sight of him.
"Hey there, Juni, is it?  Come on in.  Have a seat.  We’re just watching the Braves game."
With that invitation Derrick turned to see Juni standing there looking like a doe caught in a car’s headlights.  And then his heart stopped for a moment as Amanda sat up from her previously obscured cuddling position, nuzzled up nice and close to Derrick.
When she saw Juni she pushed herself up in her seat, away from Derrick.  "Oh, hey, Juni," she said.
Derrick looked inquisitively at Juni and then back at Amanda.
"Derrick, have you not met Juni before," she explained.  "I thought you met him the other day at my office."
"No."  Derrick stood and walked around the sofa towards Juni, extending his hand.  "Hi. Derrick Larson."
Juni shook Derrick’s hand.  Derrick towered over Juni by an eight inch margin that seemed like a full foot from Juni’s viewpoint.  His grip was a steel vice and his baritone voice filled the room.
Juni returned a half smile.  "Juni Little."
Derrick stifled a smirk hearing the name, while staring down at Juni, catching the irony of the moment.
To Juni’s relief Maggie entered the room, removing the focus from him.
"Hey Juni."
"Hey squirt."
Maggie gave Juni a big hug.
Juni patted her on the head and gave her a quick squeeze in return.  He looked up to see everyone in the room focusing on the two of them and their brief exchange.  "Okay, Maggie.  Do you have everything you brought with you?"
"Yep."
Mrs. Larson stood across the room smiling.  "Thank you for coming to see Stephanie, Maggie.  It’s always a pleasure to have you over."
Maggie let go of her brother.  "Thank you Mrs. Larson for inviting me."
"Okay, let’s go." Juni said.  "Thank you again Mr. and Mrs. Larson for having her over."
Juni ushered his sister out the door and led her by the hand down to the street where his Jeep was parked.  As they drove off Juni inquired about her day.
"So did you have fun?"
"Yep."
"What did you two do all afternoon?"
"Not much.  We talked a lot."
"Really?"  Juni recoiled in mock surprise.  "What all did you talk about?"
"Not much.  Clothes and boys and our moms and our brothers."
"You talked about me?"
"Yeah.  She went on and on about Derrick and how he shot the big ol’ bear.  So I talked about how cool you are."
"You did, huh?"
"Yeah.  I mean it’s great how he’s all big and strong and brave and handsome and tall and a policeman and… did I say brave?"
Juni rolled his eyes.  "Yes, I think you covered brave."
"Yeah.  Well, all of that is great but you know what?"
"What?"
"He never hardly plays games with her, and they’ve NEVER gone for a walk in the woods, and he’s NEVER helped her with a science project."
"Hmmm.  That’s no good."
"Tell me about it.  I think she got jealous when I told her about you.  I had to stop before I got to all the really good stuff."
"The really good stuff?  What’s that?"
"This.  Our little talks."
Juni smiled at his kid sister.  He would have never thought when his little sister was born, ten years his junior, that they would ever develop the close relationship they had.  But what they had was special, something he had with no other person on the face of the planet.  He turned forward to watch the road and keep the hint of a tear from showing itself in the corner of his eye.  "Yeah, well I’d have to agree.  This is the really good stuff."
CHAPTER TWELVE

Doc pulled up to Larry's garage in his police cruiser and climbed out looking for the proprietor.  Larry could generally be found tinkering on his project cars on Sunday mornings, off the clock.  His wife was a church going woman, but had little luck dragging her husband to Sunday services.  His one consolation to her was that he would honor the Sabbath and not put in any billable hours on Sundays, though technically the Sabbath was Saturday.  Larry didn't care to delve into the theology behind it and simply complied with her wishes, but still he could usually be found under the hood of some old car or truck on the Lord's Day.  It was his personal way of centering himself.
For some reason, Larry was nowhere to be seen.  While Doc pondered Larry's absence, his fishing buddy, Kenneth, slowly cruised by in his beat up Ford Taurus station wagon, leaning out the window as he slowed to a stop.  "Doc, You won't find Larry around here this morning.  He's at church."
"Church!  You gotta be kidding.  Larry hasn't darkened the door of a church in ten years."
"Yeah, well, Marigold finally got him to go.  Something about God's blessings... I don't know.  You ask me I think he's setting a horrible president."
"I think you mean precedent.  And that's an odd thing to say about a man going to church."
Kenneth looked confused, but Doc wasn't sure if it was from the grammar lesson or the point he made about attending church.
"Okay, Doc.  I'll see you around."
"Alright Kenneth.  Have Larry call me if you see him."

The Sunday morning church service continued to carry the heightened emotional state of the small community.  The pastor at the First United Methodist Church of Gatlinburg, where the Littles attended, even made loose references in his sermon to the slaying of the beast, though the application of the analogy to the scriptures was somewhat lost on Juni who was not paying close enough attention to make the connection.  But the mood was light, and the people in attendance were smiling and even offering an occasional "Amen", something typically reserved for their Baptist brethren.
After the service, Juni headed off to the Larson plant.  He had left his copy of Halo in his locker at work after he and a friend at work had swapped games for a week.  He just got it back on Friday and Andrew had suggested they play online that afternoon.  Margo protested, but relinquished when Juni ensured her he wouldn’t be long and to set a place for him for lunch.
When Juni pulled into the parking lot he noticed a familiar car in the lot.  It was Amanda’s sporty little Mazda Miata.  A few spaces over he noticed another familiar car.  A white Pontiac Grand Prix.  It looked like the same car from Saturday afternoon, the one the mysterious Mr. Fleming drove.  He parked in the next row over, directly behind the white Pontiac.  As he climbed out of the car the license plate on the car caught his attention.  He hadn’t noticed it the day before but the plates were vanity plates, only they looked like regular plates because of their lettering.  ZXR-82 would have been a typical plate number if issued at random, but it was an unusual sequence of letters and numbers for a vanity plate.  The sequence looked familiar to Juni, but he couldn’t place it.
With the odd interaction between Cedric and Fleming, Juni couldn’t help but have his suspicions elevated by the presence of his car at the plant on a Sunday.  With Amanda there, his suspicions became concerns.  He walked over and felt the hood of the Grand Prix.  It was cold.  He walked over and tested the hood of Amanda’s Miata.  It was still hot.  Juni diverted course from the locker area and headed into the main entrance, keeping his eyes open for any trouble.
The main entry into the building featured a small reception area followed by an open corridor that led past the only elevator in the building directly to an uninviting door that opened into a corridor leading to the plant floor and the back entrance to the office suite upstairs.  The elevator was the only other way up to the offices.
Juni passed by the elevator, noting from the numbered lights above the door it was currently on the second floor.  He opted for the door leading to the back entrance to the offices.  At the top of the steps he saw the elevator door closing.  He ran to the open door of the office suite.
To his surprise he saw Amanda emerging from the left corridor that led back to the executive offices.  She was dressed in a faded pair of blue jeans and had her hair pulled back into a high pony tail.  She looked so different he almost didn't recognize her at first, but then she caught his eye and flashed her familiar smile.
"Did you see anyone up here?"
"Juni?  What are you doing here on a Sunday afternoon?"
"Did you see anyone up here, just a second ago?"
Amanda paused, put off by Juni’s abrupt demeanor.
Juni shook his head and raced back down the staircase through the main lobby only to see the white Grand Prix pulling out of its parking spot and driving off.  He turned to see Amanda had followed him out of the building.
"So what was that all about?" Amanda asked.
"Sorry, I saw that car the other day.  The guy driving it looked like he was up to no good and then I saw his car here, and your car.  I wasn’t sure what he was up to.  So you didn’t see him up there?"
"No.  When I got here the main door to the offices was left hanging open, but I didn’t think anything about it.  I’m never up here on Sundays, but I had some filing I needed to finish.  So, you think he was up in the offices?"
"When I first saw you the elevator was heading down, so yeah, I think he was up there."
"Why?  What would he want up there?  There’s nothing valuable in our office suite."
"I don’t know.  But I’m curious.  He keeps popping up around town.  I don’t like him."
With the excitement over, Amanda became self-conscious of her more casual appearance.  "Sorry you had to see me this way.  No one is ever here on Sunday afternoon."
Juni chuckled.  "Yeah, I almost didn't recognize you at first, you looked so different."
Amanda's smile faded a little with Juni's comment, feeling even more insecure about her appearance.
He noted the reaction and quickly recovered.  "But, no, it's a good look.  I like it."
Amanda's smile returned as she blushed a little from the compliment.
But Juni continued, lost in his thoughts as he studied her long slender neck exposed by her hair pulled back.  "I like your hair pulled up.  It's nice.  Very pretty."
Amanda hid her eyes trying to conceal her embarrassment.  "Okay, well.  I'm going to go back up and finish up what I was working on."
"Okay.  I'll see you around."

Kenneth rolled up slowly to Larry's garage.  His friend was back where he felt most comfortable, under the hood of a Chevy Impala that had no business still operating on the streets of a first world country.
"Hey Larry!" Kenneth shouted at his friend.  "Doc wants us to go winch that giant bear outta that ravine."
Larry pulled himself out from under the hood.  "Yeah, that's what I heard."  Larry checked the clock hanging on the back wall.  "Okay.  Give me a minute to go wash up."
Kenneth looked at the needle on his gas gauge.  "Tell you what.  I'm runnin' on fumes.  I'm gonna go fill up the tank.  You want to just swing by my place and pick me up on the way out?"
Larry nodded.  "Sure.  I'll see you in a bit."
Kenneth pulled off leaving a heavy trail of exhaust in his wake.  Larry tossed the wrench he'd been using in the top drawer of his tool chest and wiped off his hands.  He poked his head out the side door looking to see if Marigold was still cleaning up in the kitchen.  He saw no sign of her there and her Buick was missing from the driveway as well.
He quickly cleaned himself up and grabbed his keys.  He would have to call her on his way out.  He figured she wouldn't care if he took the truck out to retrieve the giant bear, even if it was a Sunday afternoon.  As long as he wasn't getting paid to do it, she didn't consider it a violation of keeping the Sabbath sacred.

Juni arrived home just as his mom finished setting the pot roast in the middle of the table.  He set his video game on the corner of the TV cabinet and headed directly to the table.
"No sir." His mom said wagging her finger at him.  "You go wash up before you eat."
Juni sighed and headed into the kitchen while everyone else situated themselves around the table.  Juni took his seat last and they all clasped hands while Samuel said the blessing.
The food smelled intoxicatingly delicious.  Margo could cook a decent meal, that was no surprise, but her pot roast was sublime, a family favorite.
"I see you went all out today, mom," Juni commented as he stuck the serving fork into a big hunk of meat and plopped it on his plate.
"Well, I was just in the mood for a good meal," she replied.
Everybody dug in, piling their plates full of roast and mashed potatoes and a spinach soufflé that rarely made an appearance despite how everyone rolled their eyes into the back of their heads with the first bite because of its rich decadence.  It was a perfect meal.  Juni sat quietly, thinking about the strange man and his mysterious appearances around town.
"Juni?"   His mother patted him on the forearm.  "You’ve hardly said a word all meal."
Juni raised his head, realizing he had been staring down at the remnants of his mashed potatoes for the past minute or two.  "Oh, sorry."  Juni paused for a second.  "So, mom… you said that Mr. Fleming came into our shop the other day?"
"Yes, what about him?"
"What was he asking you about?"
"Oh, nothing, he was just asking about that old bear we had running around our backyard."
"Anything else?"
"No, that was it."
"He did like dad’s picture, The Arrangement."  Everyone turned to look at Maggie sitting in her chair.  She stuffed her face with another big bite of pot roast.
"Is that right, Maggie?"
Maggie nodded while she patiently chewed and swallowed.  "Yep.  I was in the back, when he was talking to mom about it, but I could hear him.  He talked kinda funny."
"Yes, now that Maggie mentions it he did say something about the photograph.  Why the sudden interest in Mr. Fleming?"
"No reason.  He just struck me as odd."
"He must have a thing for bears," Maggie chimed.
Juni snorted skeptically at the suggestion.  "Bears, huh?"
"Yeah, well…" Maggie sensed her brother’s skepticism.  "We’ve never seen this guy before, right?  Then we had all the stuff with the giant bear, and then he shows up, asking about the bear, making comments about the picture we have of the three little bear cubs.  You just have to follow the clues, Juni.  He’s into bears."
Juni cracked a smile.  "Well, when you put it like that, it’s hard to refute."
"Refute?  What does that mean?" Maggie asked before shoveling more potatoes into her mouth.
"Disagree.  It’s hard to argue with you when you make a good point like that."
"Yep, well I just calls it like I sees it."

Larry stood at the back of the truck, operating the towing winch, easing his friend Kenneth tethered to the end of the steel cable, down into the ravine to assess the situation.  The goal was to retrieve the animal in one piece, with the thought that a few snapshots of the beast intact would prove very valuable, much more than the recounted tales from a few eye-witnesses.  Those were the instructions relayed to Larry by the officials of the Sheriff's Department via Marigold on Saturday night when he returned home from his and Kenneth's fishing trip.  "A picture's worth a thousand words" she must have said to him a half dozen times.  She had a way about her to crawl under his skin that no other human on the planet could.  He'd enjoyed fishing all his life, but never found it more relaxing than after he'd exchanged nuptials with his beautiful bride.
Kenneth shouted from below.  "Okay hold up.  I can see it from here.  Good God it's big. How much weight can your winch pull?"
Larry shut off the winch and walked over to the edge of the ravine.  "It can dead lift three tons" he shouted down into the shadows.
He listened for a few seconds with no reply.
"Kenneth?"
After a long enough pause for someone to adequately scratch his head the reply came.  "I don't know if that's going to be enough."
"Can you get it harnessed?"
"I think so.  Give me a minute."
Larry walked back to the cab of his truck.  He picked up his cell phone and checked for any missed calls.  There weren't any.  He'd tried Marigold a few times with no answer.  He hadn't left any messages for her.  He wasn't sure if she knew how to retrieve her messages, at least she never had in the past.  She was pretty good about returning his calls if she saw his number in her missed call log, but if he'd left specific instructions on a voice mail those were never known by her until he repeated them in person or with her on the line.  He tried one more time but the signal was weak and couldn't get a connection.
Kenneth called back up from the bottom of the ravine.  "Okay, give her a try."
Larry turned on the winch and it slowly began reeling in the thick steel cable back onto its spool.  It continued until the weight of the animal stretched the cable taught and the real work began.  The pitch of the motor rose as it struggled to lift the heavy load, until Larry thought it might stop turning, but it soldiered on, slowly lifting the enormous carcass off the bottom of the ravine.  Larry noticed the stability of his truck started to give a little.  The wheels skidded back an inch or two at first, then a few more.  Larry rushed to the controls and shut it off.
The nose of his truck was pointed downhill on a slight grade, which he thought would be sufficient as a counterweight.  He spotted a thick pine tree about twenty feet from the nose of his truck.  He grabbed a set of chains out of the bed of the truck and moved quickly to the nose of his truck as the suspension rose above the front tires.  Larry ducked under the front bumper and slapped the chain hook from one end of the chain through an eye hook on the undercarriage and quickly shuffled out from under the vehicle.  He jumped to his feet and turned towards the giant pine tree to loop the chain around to secure his truck.
Towering over him, a giant bear equal in size to the one tethered to the winch on the back of his truck stood silently on its hind quarters.  The chains dropped to his feet, making a loud clunking sound as the giant animal picked him up with its snout.  Larry made no sound.  With his neck broken like a twig, he hung lifeless in the great beast's jaws.
Kenneth heard nothing, but he knew the process of hoisting the animal out of the ravine had stopped.  "Is everything okay up there?"
He heard no reply.  "Larry?"
Kenneth realized something was wrong.  "Larry, what's going on up there?"
Kenneth watched as a large object flew over the rocks, plummeting toward the bottom of the ravine.  Larry's body landed in a crumpled heap less than ten feet from where he stood, bloodied and mangled beyond recognition.  The bear carcass, which hung about fifteen feet in the air above the floor of the narrow ravine, bobbed up and down just slightly as Kenneth watched.  The metal frame of the truck creaked as the large lifeless beast swayed back and forth on the end of the tether before it dropped suddenly straight to the ground where it had been resting the past few days.  The carcass missed Kenneth by a few feet, but he watched the truck plummet over the side of the small cliff, blotting out the sky just before it crushed him.

Juni stood on the line, working at a feverish pace sorting the birds onto the red, blue and yellow belts.  Given his intense focus on his task and the noise of the machines engulfing him, he did not notice Buzz approaching him from behind, shadowed by their shift supervisor.  Buzz motioned that he would take over Juni’s station and stepped into position.  Juni yielded his spot grabbing the last few birds that flew by him, tossing them both onto the blue line, before turning to Bob Ramsey who led him away from the machines where the decibels dropped off a few points, just enough for him to shout a few instructions.
"I need you to make another delivery run."
Juni considered protesting but thought it best to repress his fears and just follow orders.  "Yes sir."
"Amanda will have the paperwork along with the instructions for you up stairs."
"Okay, yes sir."
Bob tugged on Juni’s sleeve as he turned towards the locker room to change out of his coveralls.  "You know," Bob said with a big grin he fought to suppress.  "Amanda suggested you by name for this.  You must have made an impression."
Juni shook his head, but smiled as he headed off to change.  He wondered himself as he hurried along why she would have asked for him to make the run.  But he stopped himself from speculating further, not allowing himself to project his own crush on her into the logic behind the request.  He would find out soon enough.
Juni poked his head into the office.  Amanda was not at her station.  He wandered into the office suite and stood awkwardly in the open space for a few seconds until he heard someone working in the back down the right hallway in the filing room.  Juni walked over to the end of the hallway, peering down it to see who was back there, careful not to intrude if it were someone else working back there.
Amanda looked up and spotted Juni from within the file room.  She smiled when she saw him and motioned for him to join her down in the caged file area.
"Hey, Bob said you have a delivery for me to run."
"Yes, I did."
"Okay, so do you have the paperwork ready?"
"Not yet…  I wanted to show you something first."  Amanda stood over an open file box filled with shipment order forms.  "After you told me about the strange man sneaking into the office yesterday I got to thinking, so I did some checking this morning.  This file box was out of place when I got here, and when I looked through it one of the shipment forms was missing."
"Missing?  Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am very diligent about my files and my logs show a form missing from last year."
"That’s odd.  You think that guy stole an old shipping form.  Why would he do that?"
"I don’t know."
"Was there anything unique about that shipment?"
Amanda picked up her log sheet and found the entry on the form.  "That’s odd.  I didn’t notice this before."
Juni looked over Amanda’s shoulder.  "What is it?"
Amanda pointed out the entry on the log sheet.  "You see here.  We showed six boxes of ZXR-82 enhanced chicken feed going out, but only five were signed for."
Juni stared at the form.  "Zixer 82."
"Zixer 82?"
"That’s what the weird guy at the chicken farm called it.  That was the number on that guy’s license plate."
Amanda looked confused.  "What are you talking about?  The guy at the farm?"
"No!  The guy who broke in here yesterday.  He had vanity plates and I couldn’t place them before.  But that was what they said ZXR-82.  The chicken feed."
Amanda pieced it together.  "Oh wow!  That is way too coincidental."
"No kidding.  But I wonder what it means."
"Well clearly this guy has a lot invested with this chicken feed."
"Yeah, but how?"
"I don’t know.  But I think this is enough to go to the sheriff’s department."
Juni scoffed.  "A missing form, a license plate?"
"And a missing box worth two thousand dollars."
"Two thousand dollars!"
"I told you that stuff was expensive."
"I’ll start with Derrick and see what he thinks."
Juni held back a cringe with the mention of Amanda’s fiancé.  "Sure, see what Derrick thinks."

Doc pulled up in his cruiser in front of Larry's garage peering inside to see if he spotted Larry working in one of the bays.  He saw no sign of him so he pulled to a stop.  Attached to the side of his business, Larry's house was obscured from the street by a wall of tires lining the six foot chain link fence surrounding the small pot hole riddled parking lot Larry had poured for his customers.  Doc ducked through the garage and up the hidden path to their kitchen door and rapped on it a few times.
In the back of the house he heard someone approaching the door.  The door cracked open slightly at first before swinging open fully revealing Marigold standing in her house robe and curlers with a stern look on her face.
"Tell me you've found my dead husband's body."
"Good afternoon Marigold.  I was hoping you could tell me where your husband might be."
"That good-for-nothing jerk went out fishin' again with his worthless friend.  I haven't seen him since Sunday afternoon."
"Oh, really?  Again?  Well, please have him call me as soon as you see him.  We really need him and his winch."
"Yeah, well he took his damn truck too.  And I'm guessing you'll see him before I do.  I'm driving up to Knoxville this afternoon to see my mother.  I can't guarantee I'll be back anytime soon… if at all."
"Okay, Marigold.  You take care.  Do you mind if I leave him a note, since you're going to be out of pocket for a while?"
"Be my guest Deputy, but no big words.  That is if you want him to be able to read it."

Cedric White worked at the small town grocer, Piggly Wiggly, in the center of town framed by the backdrop of the Smokies rising in the distance.  Juni waited for his friend in the parking lot.  He leaned against the front fender of his jeep in the parking lot as Cedric emerged from the storefront with a wadded up butcher’s apron in one hand.
"Juni Little.  What are you doing in my neck of the woods?"
"I need to ask you a question?"  Juni smiled but the timber in his voice carried a serious tone.
Cedric balked a little in reaction to Juni’s demeanor but a cautious grin remained on his face.  "A question?  Sounds serious.  Okay little man let’s hear it."
"What can you tell me about Mr. Fleming?"
Cedric’s smile disappeared.  "What are you talking about Juni?"
"The man you met in the parking lot the other night.  You know who I’m talking about."
"Look man.  Why are you poking your nose in other people’s business where it don’t belong?"
"This guy is up to something Cedric.  You need to be careful who you hang out with."
"Alright Juni, you are about to piss me off.  It ain’t none of your business who I hang out with.  And I ain’t hanging out with that weird dude anyhow."
Juni sighed heavily.  "I’m not trying to pry into your business, but I need to know what you know about him.  He broke into Larson Poultry the other day.  I’m trying to figure out why."
Cedric’s look of disdain took on a hint of guilt.  "I can’t help you Juni.  You are way out of line."
"Out of line?  Hmmm.  Your sister works at Larson.  I wonder if I asked her if she lost her badge over the weekend what she would say?"
"Holy shit!  You did not just say that."
Juni stood erect and leaned into the towering frame of his friend, craning his neck back to maintain eye contact.  "Did you consider what might happen to your sister if they trace this break in back to her id badge?"
The fire in Cedric’s eyes blazed down upon Juni, but he maintained his position and stared back.  He was fully committed to the standoff.
Juni didn’t allow Cedric time to respond.  "The sheriff’s office is probably already involved Cedric.  The wheels are in motion.  Are you going to just stand there all defiant while they run you over?"  Juni spoke loudly as he drove his point home.  "Tell me what you know about Fleming.  Why did he want to break into Larson?"
Cedric finally broke.  "I don’t know.  He paid me a hundred bucks for my sister’s badge."
"He gave you no reason.  Didn’t you think it was odd he wanted to break in to a chicken processing plant?
"What did I care?  It was a hundred bucks.  He knew my sister worked there.  He tracked me down.  It was easy cash."
"Well you screwed up.  If she’s already reported her badge missing it won’t take long for them to connect the dots."
"She was off today.  She probably doesn’t know it is missing yet."
"Well then you need to get it back from him tonight.  Do you know where you can find him?"
"Maybe, yeah.  I think I can find him."
Juni backed off, patting his friend on the shoulder.  "Good.  Mind if I tag along?"
CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The death of the giant bear reverberated loudly throughout the community and beyond.  The menacing nature of the creature had quickly become a very popular news item in the region and it was paramount to the leaders of the community that its return to the earth was given adequate news coverage as well.  It was crucial for the health of the summer tourist season.  Some speculated that the horrible tragedy could be turned into a boost to the summer traffic, and there were more than a few entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the great beast of the Smoky Mountains.
George Valentine had little patience for those who looked to exploit the tragic events of the past few weeks, but he was more than happy to hear from Elgin Peters regarding the summer camping trip by the Northwest Tennessee regional Cub Scout camping trip.  Sheriff Washburn had promised the danger represented by the rogue giant would be taken care of and Deputy Valentine was happy to confirm the news when Elgin called.
"George, I’m terribly sorry about Tom.  I feel just awful, partly responsible even."
"Don’t be ridiculous Elgin.  Tom was headed out after that bear regardless of what he promised you.  Sometimes things just happen, and there ain’t a damn thing we can do about it."
"Well, he was a stubborn man for sure.  But I will surely miss him."
"That goes without saying Elgin.  We all do."
"Well George, I wanted to call and confirm we are definitely headed down there tomorrow on schedule."
"Well that is good to hear Elgin.  I know Tom would be happy to hear it.  He would have hated to disrupt a fifteen year tradition over something like this."
"I’m certain you’re right George.  I will talk to you when we get down there."
George hung up the receiver on the phone.  He knew Tom would have been torn up if the Cub Scouts had to cancel and smiled at the thought of his old friend.

Juni pulled his jeep into the crowded parking lot of the Busy Beaver Grill and Tavern on the outskirts of Gatlinburg.  On their first pass through the lot they spotted the white Pontiac with the familiar vanity plates.  Juni pulled into a spot and the pair entered the rustic entrance to the wilderness themed restaurant.  The Busy Beaver was the third stop on their quest to find the Pontiac Grand Prix with the odd vanity plates.  The restaurant was dead, just a few patrons scattered throughout the dining room and a couple of guys sitting at the bar, one of which was the tall thin Mr. Fleming.
Juni led the pair into the bar area and headed directly for Fleming who had his back turned towards them.
Juni tapped the Brit on his shoulder.  "Excuse me, Mr. Fleming."
Fleming turned around half way glancing over his shoulder to see Juni and Cedric.  "Yes…"  Fleming, who started to acknowledge Juni, startled when he spotted the taller, thickly built black man approaching behind Juni.  "Cedric?  Is that you?"
"Yes sir," Cedric replied.
"And your friend here?  I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced."
Juni stared coldly back at Fleming.  "Juni Little.  But I think you know more about me than you are letting on."
"Perhaps.  And you seem to know a little about me as well."
Juni decided to let it all out.  "I know you broke into Larson Poultry."
"Well, well.  Let’s dispense with all the pleasantries."
Juni continued.  "I know you took a file.  I know about the missing box of ZXR-82."
"You think you know a lot."
"So what happened, did you steal the ZXR-82?  Are you trying to cover your tracks?"
"Oh, now that’s rich… trying to cover my tracks from a missing box of chicken feed from a year and a half ago?  Doesn’t that seem a bit farfetched?"
"I don’t know, you’re the one who broke into a chicken processing plant.  You tell me."
"Hey, Juni," Cedric interrupted.  "I thought we were going to try to get my sister’s badge back."
Fleming smiled at Cedric.  "Right you are Cedric," he said, reaching into his pocket and retrieving the badge.  "I suppose I have no more need for this.  Best you return it to the proper owner."
Juni wrinkled his brow at the Englishman who grew more and more annoying to him with each word uttered in that smug accent.  "Do you realize what kind of trouble you could have got Cedric and his sister in?  She could lose her job.  And Cedric could be going to jail."
"Wait, wait," Cedric interrupted.  "Hold on.  Who said anything about jail?"
"Well, what did you think Cedric?  You are an accessory to breaking and entering" Juni said.
"Oh come on man.  Don’t you think you are blowing this out of proportion?"
Fleming interrupted.  "Don’t worry Cedric.  Just slip it back into your sister’s room.  She’ll be none the wiser.  She’ll just think she misplaced it."
Cedric smiled as if he had already avoided discovery.  "She was off yesterday.  She probably don’t even know it was missing."
"Perfect.  See.  No harm, no foul."
"Only the incident has already been reported to the Sheriff’s office."
"Now who would do a thing like that?"
"Yeah, Juni," Cedric chimed.  "Who would do that?"
"Why does it matter?  It’s already been done."
Cedric shook his head.  "Man, that ain’t good."
Fleming’s smug look vanished, replaced for the first time by a look of concern.  "Perhaps not.  Well it won’t matter in a few days.  The Sheriff’s department will have more than they can handle."
Juni scoffed.  "What does that mean?"
"The bear…"
"The giant bear?  He’s dead… or don’t you read?"
Fleming shifted in his bar stool.  "Let me ask you Mr. Little, that photo your Dad took of the three bear cubs.  When was that photo taken?  Was it a little over year ago, maybe fifteen months?  Somewhere around the beginning of March?"
"My dad's photo?  The one in our shop?"  Juni vaguely recalled Maggie talking about Fleming and how he had asked about the photograph of the bear cubs.  "Why do you ask?"
Fleming noted from Juni's reaction that he appeared to have guessed right about the age of the photo, but his widened smile disappeared quickly as he stared past Juni and Cedric.  He quickly pulled a few bills out of his wallet, tossed them on the bar and hopped off his bar stool in one fluid motion.  Before Juni realized what was going on Fleming was gone, heading towards the back of the restaurant, leaving Juni and Cedric standing awkwardly in the middle of the bar area as Derrick Larson walked through the front door.
Larson did not recognize Juni at first but caught his eye on his second pass surveying the patrons of the Busy Beaver.  He walked over to Juni and Cedric.
"You're Juni Little, right?" he asked.
"Yes, sir" Juni replied.
"You work with my fiancée, Amanda."
Juni looked inquisitively at Derrick.  "Yes..."  They had just met the other day, introduced by Amanda, yet he questioned Juni as if they had never crossed paths.
"Yeah, she mentioned some strange guy, that you two had a theory that he had broken into Larson Poultry and had taken some file."
"Yes, he..."  Juni started to point out that Fleming had just walked away towards the back of the restaurant, but Derrick cut him off.
"All sounds pretty crazy to me."
"I'm sorry…" Juni looked questioningly at the Sheriff's Department Officer.  "Why are you here?  Are you not looking for him?"
"Looking for who?"
"Fleming."
"Fleming?  The weird guy?  No, why?  Is he here?"
"Yes, he was just here."
Derrick looked around.  "So where is he?"
"He walked towards the back.  I don't know, maybe he left."
Derrick looked over at Cedric.  "Do I know you?  Aren't you Cedric White, defensive end at Gatlinburg-Pittman last year?"
"Yes sir."
"I played quarterback three years ago."
"Yes sir, I remember you.  You were awesome."
"Thanks Cedric.  You were pretty stout yourself.  I watched you guys play in the district championship game last fall.  You had a very nice game."
Juni looked on, annoyed at the two high school jocks placating each other about how great each other were in the glory days of high school football.  "So why are you here?"
Derrick stiffened with Juni's brazen question.  "Official Sheriff's business."
The bartender nodded at Derrick and set a bag containing a few boxed meals on the bar.
Derrick nodded back in gratitude.  "Thanks Hal."
"Anytime Derrick," the bartender replied.
Juni looked around.  Alan Fleming had disappeared, his fears misplaced.  The reported crime had fallen on deaf ears.  Amanda's influence on her fiancé lacked the punch she likely thought it would have.  Fleming was a loose cannon, unpredictable and untrustworthy, but there was more to his story.  He had put himself at risk breaking into the offices of Larson Poultry to steal some document regarding a missing shipment of ZXR-82 chicken feed, and he had some strange infatuation with bears, giant bears and cute and cuddly bear cubs.  And how did he guess how old that photo of the bear cubs.  That was odd.
Juni mulled over the trio of facts just a few times before the pieces fell in place.
"Cedric.  I need to go."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Juni raced home in his Jeep and burst through the door of his house looking for anyone to tell his theory.  The house appeared to be empty and his dad's SUV was not there.  Sam often lagged behind at the store an extra thirty minutes finishing up work on the books or any other miscellany that required his attention.  But he expected his mom and Maggie to be there on a Monday night.  As he contemplated where his family might be his cell phone began vibrating in his pocket.
The number wasn't familiar but he answered the call.  "Hello?"
"Juni?" the voice asked.
"Yes.  Who is this?"
"It's Amanda from work."
"Amanda?  What's up?  I didn't know you had my number."
"I have everyone's number from work.  Although I usually don't use them for personal calls."
Juni swallowed hard.  Despite all of their recent interactions his stomach still tumbled every time she spoke to him.  "So what's up?"
"I'm at the office.  I need to show you something.  It's big."
"Well, I'm trying to find my family at the moment."
"Oh, okay."
Juni heard the uncertainty in Amanda's voice and quickly reassured her he was there for her.  "No it's no problem, I just need to make a few calls then I'll head right over."
"Oh, okay, thanks."
Juni hung up and called his Mom's cell phone.  After a few rings she picked up.
"Juni?"
"Hey mom.  Where are you guys?"
"Your father and I rode to work together today.  I left him up there a few hours ago so I'm headed back up to the store to pick him up."
"Oh, okay."
"Well I've got to run back up to work for a little while.  I don't think I should be long."
"Okay, dear.  I'll see you later."
Juni pulled the phone down then thought of one more thing he wanted to ask.  "Mom?"
His mother didn't reply.  Juni checked the screen and the call had ended.  He shrugged it off figuring he was being paranoid and headed back out to his Jeep.  The news for his family would have to wait.
As Juni pulled out onto the road Maggie rounded the corner of the house looking to see if the noise from Juni's car meant her mom and dad were back home.  Seeing that they weren't she wandered back to the back yard to her play set where her mom left her ten minutes earlier.  She'd had a hard time convincing her mom it was okay for her to stay home alone for the short time it took to drive to the shop and back, but her final argument that she would be ten years old in a month swayed her mom enough to relent, along with the promise to stay in the back yard or in the house while she was gone.

Juni cautiously poked his head through the main office door.  It was already a quarter past seven so he expected most of the staff to have left for the evening but he didn't want to startle any late evening stragglers.  The office was deathly silent and few lights were on casting eerie shadows through the empty space.  He finally heard a rustling sound from the back file room.
"Amanda?"
A small voice echoed down the long hallway.  "Juni?"
Juni felt a sense of relief hearing the familiar voice.  He walked down the hallway and found Amanda bent over a file box leafing through the numerous folders.
"Hey," he said.
Amanda smiled and returned the greeting.  "Hey."
She continued sorting through the file box she had pulled out onto the table.  "I was working on some old files that had been left in my desk that had never been filed correctly back here this afternoon and I found something odd.  So I thought maybe it was a fluke so I began digging deeper and found several instances of it."
Amanda gathered up a thick stack of documents and set them on the table for Juni to look at.  Juni looked at the first document and nothing stood out to him.  It was a different document than the shipping forms he'd seen before detailing the ZXR-82 feed going out to the various chicken farms.  At the top of each document was the company logo for Anderson-Davis Pharmaceuticals.  The form appeared to be a delivery form from that company similar to the forms for Larson Poultry.  It served the same purpose only the numbers were a bit larger.  The shipments were between thirty and forty crates each, but aside from that nothing else seemed significant to Juni.
"I don't get it.  What am I missing?"
"Check the signature."
Juni glanced down at the bottom of the form.  It was signed in a scrawl that was hard to read, but after studying it and the next four forms it became clearer.  "Alan Fleming."
"Yep.  Our very own corporate saboteur."
Juni sighed.  He wished it was simply some scam Fleming was trying to run.  "That's not what this is about."
Amanda looked annoyed at Juni.  "Not you too."
"Not me too what?"
"Don't tell me this isn't real.  This is big.  I'm not sure what it is but it's big."
"It's big allright.  But Fleming isn't our problem," Juni said.
"You sound like Derrick."
"Oh, so he told you he wasn't buying the scandal with Fleming."
"Yes, but now you are taking his side."
Juni protested.  "I'm definitely not taking his side.  There is something big here.  It's just not what you think it is."
"Well then what is it?"
"After I left work today I went and found Fleming."
"You found Fleming?  How?"
"That's not important.  But we talked.  And I started putting together what is going on here.  There is a serious threat still on the loose."
"And it's not a skinny British guy."
Juni chuckled at Amanda's quip.  "No, it's not a skinny British guy.  Fleming came into our store last week, the day after the bear was in our yard.  He was asking questions about the bear, and my mom shooed him off.  But he noticed this picture in our store my dad had taken of three black bear cubs playing on the side of the road in this crate."
"What crate?"
"Just some crate.  Well then later when we were talking he mentioned it again.  And he acted all smug saying he knew about when my dad took that picture.  Only he guessed right."
Amanda looked more confused than when Juni started.  "So..."
"So," Juni continued.  "I started thinking about Fleming's association with ZXR-82 and his interest in the giant bears.  ZXR-82 contains growth hormones.  The bear that terrorized the area was freakishly big..."
"You think the bear somehow got a hold of some ZXR-82 and grew into a giant monster?"
"Is there a better explanation for the giant bear?"
Amanda sat back, thinking for a moment.  "I suppose not.  So what does this have to do with him guessing the timeframe of the photo of the bear cubs?"
Juni didn't answer.  Amanda stared back at him, waiting for him to answer a question she hadn't fully processed.  Suddenly her eyes widened.  "You don't think..."
"What other conclusion could you draw?"
"How old is the photo?"
"It was taken last March."
"That's impossible.  That monster grew from cub to that size in fifteen months?"
"That's what Fleming thinks, and he knows more about ZXR-82 than anyone else around here.  And this means there are two more of these giant bears on the loose."
They both sat quietly for a moment.
Amanda looked up at Juni.  "We have to warn everybody."
"I think we are going to have a tough time convincing anyone.  You couldn't convince your fiancé of a breaking and entering where we practically held the smoking gun, all because it didn't really make sense."
"Doesn't this make sense?"
"Does anything involving a giant monster bear make sense?"
Amanda's shoulders dropped.  "I see your point."
"We need Fleming.  He's the key.  Maybe the three of us can convince the Sheriff's department that the threat isn't over."

Maggie sat in the tower of her play set, overlooking the entire domain of her backyard.  Engrossed in a game of pretend, she popped up onto her feet, ready to offer a decree to the thousands of citizens at her feet ready to pledge their loyalty to their new queen, when she noticed a familiar face wandering onto their lawn from behind the garden shed.
"Bessie!  I thought you had run off for good."
Mrs. Finn had been distraught for over a week with the slaying of her friend, Sheriff Washburn, coupled with the disappearance of her closest companion for the past ten years, her golden Lab, Bessie.  The popular theory was that Bessie had met her demise at the hand of the beast that had been terrorizing the community.  Seeing her finally appear after going missing for a week was quite a thrill for the little girl.
Maggie quickly climbed down and ran to greet the beleaguered animal.  Bessie's tongue hung low out of her mouth as she panted heavily but she appeared to be in pretty good shape.  Maggie hugged the big dog around her neck and scratched her behind the ears.  "Where have you been Bessie?  Mrs. Finn has been worried sick about you."
Maggie looked around as she contemplated what to do.  Mrs. Finn's house was about a ten minute hike on the trail that ran just behind their two houses.  It was the most direct route.  But she had given her word that she wouldn't set foot outside the backyard while her mom went to pick up her dad at the shop.  She decided Mrs. Finn could wait a few more minutes to get her dog back and whistled at Bessie to follow her inside where she could keep tabs on her.  Bessie had other intentions and bolted down the path towards the trail that led to Mrs. Finn's house.
Maggie hesitated for only a moment before she bolted down the path after the dog.  Bessie had disappeared for a week.  She wasn't about to let her out of her sight.

Sam and Margo pulled into the gravel driveway.  Dusk had settled over their quiet homestead, the wind had died off completely, and a strange calm engulfed their surroundings as they climbed out of Sam's car.  The solid thunks of the car doors closing sent muffled echoes through the small valley around their house.  Margo cocked her head listening for a familiar sound that wasn't there.  She grew a little concerned not hearing Maggie playing in the backyard where she had left her.  Though she knew her daughter generally preferred the outdoors to being trapped inside the house she could have needed to go to the bathroom or retrieve a toy, so she calmed herself as she climbed the front steps.
Inside the house the dead calm continued.  No sounds of activity reverberated from within the darkened rooms of the house.
"Maggie?"
No answer.
Sam entered behind Margo.
"Sam, go check out back."
Sam hurried through the house out the back door.  "Maggie!" he called.
Margo flipped on a few lamps as she passed through the living room.  "Maggie!"
Margo explored the rest of the house and met Sam back in the living room.  She pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed a number.
"Juni!"
"Yeah mom, what is it?"
"Did you take your sister when you left the house?"
"What!  She's not with you!"
Margo's heart sunk.  "Hurry home, Juni."

Juni turned in his seat toward Amanda.  "My sister is missing.  I have to go home."
"Oh wow."  Amanda didn't know how to respond.
"Do you want me to drop you back off at your car?"
Amanda considered it for only a second.  "No.  Just go.  Fleming can wait.  You may need help finding your sister."
Juni cursed himself inside for not asking the simple question, Do you have Maggie with you?  He couldn't bear the thought that his new found revelation about the continued threat on Sevier County might have anything to do with his sister's disappearance.  He would never be able to live with himself.
Within a few minutes Juni pulled his Jeep into the driveway in front of his house.  His mom was waiting out on the front porch on the edge of tears.
Juni jumped out of his seat and jogged quickly to the bottom of the steps.  "Has she shown up yet?"
His mom nodded that she hadn't.  She didn't speak for fear of losing her composure.
Amanda approached Juni cautiously as he and his mom exchanged the limited information they had regarding the whereabouts of his little sister.  Margo noticed Amanda standing at a safe distance, trying not to intrude on the family in crisis.
Juni caught his mother glancing behind him.  "Mom, this is Amanda Pressman.  She works with me at Larson."
Margo managed to utter an understated "Hello."
"I'm sorry to intrude Mrs. Little.  Juni told me about Maggie.  If I can help in any way just let me know."
"That's very kind of you.  I'm sure she's just run off and lost track of time."
Juni did not want to add to his mother's stress by mentioning the added danger of the two unaccounted beasts that still roamed the wooded hills around their home.  At the same time he was panicking inside, not sure how to handle the situation.
"Where's Dad?"
"He's out back."
"Amanda, could you stay here with my mom."
Amanda nodded.  "Sure."
Juni headed around the side of the house.  He spotted Sam on the back edge of their property cupping his hands and shouting into the thick stand of trees.
"Dad!"  Juni called as he jogged towards his father.
"Oh good, Juni, I could use your help."  Samuel's emotional state was much better than Margo's.  "We need to corral your sister before your mom loses it."
"Dad, I don't want to cause a panic but we have a bigger problem."
"I don't know Juni.  This ranks up there at the moment."
"Dad.  The giant bears are still out there.  We have to find Maggie quick, before she crosses paths with one of them."
"What are you talking about?  Giant bears…plural?  You think there is more than one roaming out there now?  Where are you getting this?"
"Fleming told me… the man that was in the shop asking Mom about the bear we saw.  He knows all about them, what created them.  I believe him.  Trust me Dad, but there are two more out there now.  I'm dead sure of it."
Samuel's calm disposition morphed into a controlled panic.  "Okay, well, we don't need to panic your mother any more than she is now.  You go grab our hunting rifles and meet me back here in two minutes.  I'm going to call the Sheriff's department."
Juni ran inside and dug out his and his father's rifles and a box of ammo for each.  He saw his Dad on his cell phone through the back windows talking to the Sheriff's office.  As he raced back through the house his mom walked through the front door with Amanda.  Juni attempted to downplay the two rifles in his possession, but Margo immediately caught on to the increased precaution represented by the weaponry.
"Why are you taking rifles out to search for your sister?"
"Just a precaution, Mom.  In case we come across any bears."
"Is there something you're not telling me?"
Juni stood frozen in his tracks, trying to think of a way to move past that moment without destroying his mom's nerves.  He glanced out the back windows at his dad, still on his cell phone, apparently in an animated conversation.
"It's just a precaution, Mom."
Juni avoided further eye contact with his Mom and Amanda as he walked past.  On his way out the back door, the phone rang loudly, startling Juni as he balanced the two rifles and boxes of ammo while trying to pull the door shut behind him.
Margo raced over to the phone snatching it off the wall.  "Hello?"
Juni stood there for a moment half in and half out the doorway, listening to his Mom's half of the conversation.  He didn't need to hear what was being said on the other end of the line when he saw the tension in his mother's frame release its grip as she listened to Mrs. Finn on the other end of the phone, exuberant with the news of Maggie returning Bessie to her.  Juni set the rifles down.  Margo nodded in confirmation and mouthed the words "Mrs. Finn" to Juni as she listened to her prattle on about her beloved dog.  Juni signaled his father to come in, and nearly collapsed himself from the relief.  He felt his heart pounding in his chest as it began to slow.
Juni whispered to his Mom as he gave her a hug.  "I'll go pick her up.  Tell her to stay put."
He turned to Amanda.  "Well, crisis over.  Do you want to wait here or come with me?  My dad has just primed the Sevier County Sheriff's office, so we won't be going in cold."
Amanda smiled.  "Sure, I'll tag along.  Besides, I love your little sister.  She's the cutest.  And if you didn't already know she thinks the world of you."
Juni led Amanda out the door.  "Oh, you two talked?"
"Well I mostly listened.  But she did mention her favorite thing was your little talks."
"Oh, she did, did she?  She told me she kept that to herself."
"Oh, really why's that?"
"Obviously...she didn't want to make her friend jealous."
"Oh, yeah, I could see that.  To be honest, poor Stephanie was getting a little jealous.  Both of us were."
Juni blushed as he climbed into his Jeep opposite the girl he desperately wanted to profess his feelings for.  Instead he settled for the subtle smiles they exchanged as he turned his truck around and headed towards Mrs. Finn's.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

After returning to the house with Maggie it was getting late, a quarter past nine o'clock.  Juni had already broke the news to his Dad, and then subsequently to Margo.  They were both hesitant on letting the pair bound out into the night without further explanation.  Once they connected all the pieces for Juni's parents, Sam was even less keen on letting them pursue the peculiar Mr. Fleming, before approaching the authorities.
Sam said "I just got off the phone with the Sheriff's office.  Now, while I won't say they were not somewhat skeptical of our story, they did listen."
Juni argued in reply.  "Are they going to do anything?  Dad, we have to convince them.  People could get hurt out there if they don't know what's going on."
"And you think this Fleming guy can convince them."
"I don't know but we have to try."
Sam looked over at Margo for a little help.  She shrugged her shoulders.  "I don't know Sam, I think he's right.  We have to do something."
"Okay, Margo, you stay here.  Lock up.  Turn out the lights.  I'm going with Juni and Amanda to see if we can find this Fleming character and take him to the Sheriff's office."
Sam drove them to the bar where Juni had seen Fleming earlier that evening.  The Pontiac was gone.
Juni leaned forward from the back seat.  "He's not here.  McMillan's is just a few blocks over.  That was one of the other places Cedric said he liked to hang out."
Sam pulled into a parking spot.  "I've got a better idea.  Stay here, I'll be right back."
Juni looked at Amanda, and they exchanged shrugs.
A few minutes later Sam returned to the car.  He climbed in and put the car in reverse.
"So?" Juni asked.
"He's staying at the Holiday Inn on Kingsley."
Juni grinned.  "How did you get that information?"
"People generally do two things at a bar.  Drink and talk to the bartender."
Amanda smiled.  "Nice work Mr. Little."
Within a few minutes they were standing at Fleming's room.  Juni knocked on the door.
Fleming cracked open the door to see the crowd assembled at his door and quickly slammed it shut.
Juni knocked again.  "Mr. Fleming.  We need your help.  We know what you know, or at least we think we do.  We need to convince the Sheriff's Department that there's still a threat."
Fleming swung the door open.  "Well, well.  If it isn't good old Juni Little and his strapping father.  And who might this lovely young girl be."
The stench of alcohol could be smelled from five feet away of the staggering Alan Fleming, who reeled forward after welcoming his visitors.
Juni stepped forward catching Fleming and keeping him on his feet.  "Good God Fleming.  How much have you had to drink?"
"Oh, not too much.  It's hard to say.  More than a few I suppose."
Sam stepped into the room and helped Juni walk Fleming over to his bed.  Amanda followed afterward and grabbed a tumbler off the dresser and filled it with water in the bathroom.
She handed the glass to Juni.  "Here, some water might help."
Fleming sat on his bed upright against the headboard sipping water.  Though he spoke slowly and deliberately he remained coherent so Juni proceeded.
"Mr. Fleming..."
Fleming raised his hand, stopping Juni.  "Doctor.  Doctor Fleming."
"Doctor, okay."  Juni looked back at Amanda and shrugged.  "Dr. Fleming.  The giant bear... that was caused by ZXR-82?"
"Yes.  More or less."
"More or less?"
"ZXR-82 targets the pituitary gland, revving it up, causing it to produce an elevated level of growth hormone.  That's in small doses.  What happened here was outside of a controlled environment, so there's no telling how much of the drug was ingested by the bears."
"Bears?" Sam asked.
Juni interrupted.  "We think that there are three of these giant bears roaming the area.  Well, maybe only two now."
"And why do we think that?"
"Because of your photo Dad.  The Arrangement."
Sam stood silently digesting the information.
"Mr. Little, I believe that you captured the catalytic event on camera that set this whole calamity in motion.  Larson poultry lost one of its containers of the ZXR-82 chicken feed on a delivery to one of its farms, the crate you saw the three bear cubs playing in on the side of the road."
"Those little bear cubs... are now twenty foot giant bears!  That's impossible."
"Does it sound any less feasible than any other theory explaining a twenty foot giant bear?" Juni asked.
Fleming interrupted, answering Juni's question to his father.  "ZXR-82 was shown to have a greater affect when dosed at the earlier stages of development.  It worked at all stages, but I would easily believe these animals are not much more than two years old."
"But I have one question," Amanda said, standing off to the side.  "The crate had a label on it.  Orchid.  I've never heard of Orchid.  Are you sure it was one of your crates of ZXR-82?"
"That's a good point dear.  I'm glad you brought it up.  I work for Anderson-Davis Pharmaceuticals.  All of your paperwork says Anderson-Davis.  But a few years ago Anderson-Davis acquired Orchid Pharmaceuticals.  If you check your paperwork from a few years back you will see the name Orchid on those purchase orders.  That crate was just a leftover from a few years ago."
Sam rubbed his chin.  "If these bears are just two years old then they could get even bigger."
"Presumably.  There's no data on the effect of this drug on bears, so it's hard to say."
"We have to take this to the Sheriff's office," Juni said.  "What did you do with the paperwork you took from Larson Poultry."
"It's in a safe place."
A loud knock sounded on Fleming's hotel door.  "Sheriff's department!  Open up."
Fleming looked shocked.  "What's this?  Is this a setup?"
Juni stared back in confusion.  "A setup?  We're trying to help."
The knock repeated.  "You have five seconds to open this door!"
Everyone looked at each other, unsure what to do.  Finally Amanda raced to the door and opened it.
A bright flashlight lit her face blinding her.  Several men poured into the room.  One of them grabbed Amanda and spun her around, forcing her against the wall and slapping a tie wrap around her wrists, binding them together.
Sam and Juni stood next to the bed.  The men rushed the room swarming Juni and his father, forcing them down onto the floor and securing them as well with tie wraps, binding their wrists behind their backs.
Sam tried to speak.  "What is going on!"
"You are under arrest.  You have the right to remain silent.  You have the right to an attorney.  Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.  If you cannot afford..."
"I would like to know what I am being arrested for."
The officer continued.  "If you cannot afford an attorney the court will appoint an attorney for you.  Do you understand these rights?"
"Yes.  I understand my goddamned rights."
The officer grabbed Juni, picking him up by his arms.  "Do you understand your rights?"
"Yes sir.  I understand."
The officers led Juni and Sam out of the room.  Amanda was already in the hallway in tears and refusing to make eye contact with anyone.
Juni started to offer some means of comfort when a familiar face exited the elevator and approached the three of them.  He ignored Juni despite the initial eye contact and clear recognition.
Instead he approached Amanda and barked at one of the arresting officers.  "Get these restraints off her now!"
"Derrick?" Amanda said raising her head.
One of the officers quickly cut the tie wrap from her wrist.  Amanda reached out and grabbed Officer Larson.  "Derrick, what is going on?  Why did these men try to arrest me?"
"I don't know.  I'll get to the bottom of this.  Just stay calm.  I'm right here."
Derrick disappeared into the hotel room for a few minutes.  Juni looked over at Amanda from across the hall.  He wanted to say something but instead felt ashamed standing there in custody even though he knew he'd done nothing wrong.  Derrick reemerged and took Amanda by the arm, walking her to the elevator.  Amanda glanced back over her shoulder as Derrick led her off, but Derrick kept her moving forward, away from the scene.
They didn't see Fleming again before they were led off to the station.  Juni wondered to himself about the last thing Fleming said before the pounding on the door.  He said the documents were in a safe place.  Why would he have said that?  Why would he have felt a need to keep them somewhere safe?  Why not just keep them in his hotel room?  And why was the Sheriff's Department raiding his hotel room?  Derrick seemed uninterested in the alleged break-in at Larson.  Why now, all of a sudden, was the Sheriff's Department interested in the case, if that's what this was?  None if it made sense.
Sam looked at Juni and shook his head.  He knew their night would be much longer than they had anticipated.

A man with a baseball cap pulled down as far as he could without being too obvious of his attempt to obscure his face sat quietly in a booth in the dimly lit bar.  The waitress walked by to check on him and he waived her off as his cell phone started to ring.
"Yeah."
The man on the other end spoke slowly with little inflection in his tone.  "So what happened?  I thought you had taken care of the doctor."
"I thought so too.  He agreed to our deal, took the down payment.  Then the kid showed up with his girlfriend and his dad.  I couldn't close the deal."
"So what happened?  Why did you get the sheriff's department involved?"
"Larson panicked.  He wanted to try to contain the situation."
"Did they find the papers?"
"No.  Fleming played dumb.  He doesn’t know who he can trust in the Sheriff's office."
"About the Littles...  The dad reported a sighting of another giant bear?"
The man with the baseball cap lowered his voice as a patron ambled by towards the restroom.  "Not exactly.  He phoned in a claim that there were more giant bears on the loose.  Something about his daughter missing.  He mentioned Fleming.  He said he knows all about the bears."
"So Fleming is convinced there is more than one?  Did he say why?"
"We didn't get into it.  But he wouldn't agree to anything until I had him convinced that we would track down the other two bears."
"Do you believe him?"
"Hell no!  The guy is nuts.  He was willing to end his own career by going to Doc in the first place."
"Well, now it's really gotten out of hand.  We need to clean this up."
"Don't worry about Fleming.  I'll take care of him.  I'm sure he will listen to reason."
"What about the kid and his girl, and the kid's dad?"
"Larson's not gonna let anyone touch the girl.  I'll figure out what they all know."
"If they know too much we've gotta take care of them all.  Make sure Larson is clear on that.  Remind him what is at stake."

Morning came early for Juni on Tuesday.  He and his dad spent several hours in a holding cell while they were processed through the system.  Eventually they were released on their own recognizance and offered a halfhearted apology from the attending officer.  Juni wanted to press the matter and asked why the Sheriff's department had an interest in Fleming, but Sam stifled him, wanting to end their nightmare without stirring up any more controversy.
Juni left for work before anyone else was up, working on a mere two hours of sleep.  When he arrived at work Amanda's car was still in the parking lot where he had seen it the night before.  He followed his normal routine, and despite his baggy eyes, functioned at full capacity through the first half of the day.
After lunch he returned to the line where he saw Buzz assuming his post.  He turned to see his supervisor standing behind him.
"Come with me."
Juni followed Mr. Ramsey up the stairs to the office, but paused before entering.  "Mr. Ramsey?"
"Yes, Juni?"
"Don't I need to change out of these clothes before I come in here?"
Bob shook his head.  Juni noted to himself that Bob's demeanor was much more subdued than usual as he followed him into the office.  Amanda was not at the reception desk.
Mrs. Freeman entered the reception area but lacked the cheery disposition she had carried before when he met her.  "Please follow me Mr. Little."
Bob followed along with Juni as they walked back to Abby's office.  Bob closed the door behind him as they sat across from Abby's desk.
"Juni," Abby started.  "I'm afraid we are going to have to let you go."
Juni could already tell something was amiss, being led into the HR department in the middle of the day, but hearing the words still shocked him.
"What?  What did I do wrong?  I don't understand."
"It's just not going to work out.  All employees start on a probationary period, and at this time we think it is best for us to part ways."
"That's it?  Mrs. Freeman.  Mr. Ramsey.  I thought I was doing well on the line."
Abby shifted in her seat.  Bob looked very uncomfortable as well.
Abby had a folder prepared that she slid toward Juni.  "This will explain all of the procedures for terminating your employment.  Your final check will be mailed to you and include pay through the end of today.  I'm very sorry Juni that things didn't work out."
Juni sat in his seat in disbelief.  It was one more thing that didn't add up.
"Fine," he said, picking up the folder.
Bob stood up and opened the door.  Juni followed him out of the office down toward the locker room.  He glanced over at Amanda's empty seat.  Surely, he thought, she hadn't been let go.  But was his firing the result of their entanglement with Dr. Fleming?  As little as it made sense that was the only thing that seemed to correlate with his sudden termination.  Gatlinburg was a small town, and it was feeling smaller and smaller by the minute.

George sat quietly in his office Tuesday morning breathing in the aroma of his fresh cup of coffee.  The arrest report for Fleming sat open on his lap as he flipped through the two page write up from Officer Larson.  It included a few disparaging comments towards Juni Little, referenced as a potential accomplice potentially providing unauthorized access to the Larson chicken plant, but those claims were unsubstantiated at the time of the report and required further investigation.  George chuckled as he read that part.  He knew it was likely complete bullshit on Derrick's part having heard him rant before about the kid at the chicken plant Amanda wouldn't stop talking about.
Doc stopped and poked his head into George's office as he passed by.  "Hey George.  What was this I heard about Sam Little claiming there was another rogue bear still roaming the area?"
"It was nothing.  His kid wandered off and he panicked."
"Well why would he have made up something about another giant bear?"
"I don't know…  If you ask me he's just full of shit.  Some people just love mayhem.  Nothing stirs them up more than a little peace and quiet."

Juni arrived home just after noon.  The house was empty.  He checked his cell phone and thumbed through the recent calls until he found the number he was searching for.  It was a number that was unfamiliar to him, the one that rang his phone when Amanda called him last night.  He hesitated for a moment.  She most likely had called from the office phone, and he didn't want to talk to anyone at Larson Poultry.  But there was a chance she called from her cell.  He pushed the send button.
The phone rang a few times and then Amanda answered.  "Hello?"
"Amanda?"
"Juni?"
"Yes, it's me.  Where were you today?"
"What do you mean?  I'm here at work.  Where are you?"
"They fired me.  You weren't in the office when they brought me in."
"They fired you!  Why would they do that?"
"I don't know.  I think it might have something to do with Fleming."
"Why would Fleming have anything to do with you getting fired?"
"I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure I was doing fine on the job.  Don't you think it is a pretty big coincidence that your fiancé charged in on our meeting with Fleming, arrested me and my Dad, and then the next day his grandfather's company fires me."
"Oh, that's ridiculous."
"Is it?  Why didn't Derrick keep me and my Dad out of the slammer last night?  I noticed he saved you the experience."
"What?  They threw you in jail?"
"What did you think happened?  Did you think they were just going to let us go too?"
"I asked Derrick.  He said he'd take care of you guys later."
"Oh, he took care of us alright.  And he got me fired on top of it all."
"That's not fair.  You don't have anything to base that on."
Juni had gotten himself worked up hearing himself talk through his theory.  He calmed himself.  "You are right.  I don’t know.  But this is beginning to look very suspicious.  I'm not sure who to trust anymore."
"I think you are overthinking things Juni."
"Maybe.  Who knows…I just don't know what to think anymore."  Juni changed the subject.  "So getting fired really sucks."
"I'm sorry, I can imagine."
"So where were you a half hour ago?"
"Derrick came by and took me to lunch."
"Is that typical?"
Amanda paused.  "No, but he's done it a few times."
"Okay, so maybe he decided it's been long enough since the last lunch date."  Juni paused again while he thought.  "Do you usually prepare paperwork for terminated employees?"
"Yes.  Abby usually has me pull the files for terminations a day or so before it happens."
"But you didn't know I was going to get canned today."
"No!  I had no clue.  You have to believe me Juni."
"Of course I believe you Amanda.  But why were you left out of the loop for my termination?"
Amanda sat quietly on the phone trying to digest the facts Juni laid out.
"Amanda?"
"I don't know Juni.  But I'm going to find out."
"Amanda, wait."
"What?"
"If you go barging into Abby's office she's going to clam up.  You have to play it cool.  Don't let on that you know anything.  Don’t tell her that you talked to me."
"Okay.  I can play it cool."
"Okay.  Well, let me know what you find out."  Juni started to hang up before he thought of something else.  "Hey."
"Yes."
"Did I call you on your cell?"
"Yes, why?"
"Don't save my number on your phone under my name.  Put it as your gynecologist or something."
Amanda chuckled.  "What?  That's weird."
"Just do it.  Trust me."
"Okay, Dr. Flores."

Alan Fleming walked up the frozen food aisle of the small grocery store.  He'd spent all night in the county holding cell, fighting off interrogators and their persistent questions about the alleged file he had lifted from Larson Poultry.  Of course he had taken the file, but given the course of events, he didn't know who he could trust, even within the Sheriff's Department.
As he rounded the corner he spotted Cedric at the end of the next aisle cleaning a spill.
"Cedric.  How are you doing today?"
"Good Mr. Fleming.  How are you doing?"
"I do hope you can forgive me for putting you and your sister at risk to accomplish my task."
"No problem Mr. Fleming.  I'm an adult.  I made my own decision there.  Besides, no harm came of it."
"Yes, I suppose so.  Okay, well you have a bonny afternoon."
"Okay, sir.  You have a bonny day too, whatever that is."
Fleming smiled and headed off to the checkout.  He pulled his cart into the line and checked his jacket pocket.  His wallet was missing.
"Oh drat!" he said to the girl working the cash register.  "I seemed to have left my wallet in my car.  Please be a gem and hold my cart for me whilst I quickly retrieve it."
A stern looking lady behind him in line scowled at him.
"By all means Madame, please proceed while I am gone."
Fleming darted out of the store into the parking lot, scanning it for his car.  It wasn't where he remembered leaving it.  He wandered up the aisle scratching his head when he heard the roar of an engine.  He turned to see his white Grand Prix turning up the aisle heading straight towards him.  Stunned he stood motionless for a moment before trying to get out of the way, too late.  The engine gunned as the car slammed into him, throwing him to the ground.  The car quickly sped off rolling the driver's side front and rear tires over the battered and bloodied body of Dr. Alan Fleming lying on the asphalt.

Amanda sat quietly at her desk filing the same file for the fifteenth time.  She was waiting for her opportunity to make her move.  Abby was finishing up a few items for the day before she headed home, but every time she looked like she was wrapping things up she pulled out another file and started leafing through it.  Abby turned to put the last file away and turned to see Amanda standing in her doorway.
"Oh, are you still here Amanda?  It's getting late.  I thought I was the only person left."
"Oh please Abby, you and I have been fiddling around with the same file folders for the past half hour.  Just tell me why you did it."
"Did what Amanda?"
"Don't start that with me.  You know what."
"Look Amanda, this is none of your business.  You need to stay out of it."
"Fine, I'll stay out of it.  After you tell me why."
"Do you know what stay out of it means?"
Amanda stepped inside Abby's office and lowered her voice.  "I won't tell anyone.  You can trust me."
"Oh please.  Do you know one of the top reason's they hired me for this job."
"No, why?"
"Cause I know how to keep my mouth closed."
"So do I Abby.  I see stuff all the time and don't say a word."
"So you won't tell a sole, not even that cute little friend of yours, the one who put you up to this?"
"Well you have to admit his termination was totally out of nowhere."
Abby sighed.  "Look Amanda, I can't help you.  You are in way over your head on this one."
"Abby, I thought we were friends."
"I am going home.  Please do not look through my files when I leave.  Especially the one in the back of the top drawer on the left marked Sensitive Items."
Abby picked up her purse and walked out past Amanda.
"Goodnight Abby.  I'll see you in the morning."
Abby rolled her eyes.  "Let's hope so."

Fleming lay barely conscious on the gurney as the medical staff rushed him through the ER into an operating room.  The doctor barked out a half dozen commands to his team as they moved him in one swift and coordinated move from the gurney to the operating table.  Fleming's lungs were filling with fluid, threatening to drown him in his own blood.  They quickly intubated him and inserted a drain tube through his rib cage on his left side.  His blood pressure was quickly dropping through the floor and his pulse was very faint.  The doctor shined a light in his eyes and the pupils constricted only slightly.
Fleming watched through a haze as they worked on him, passing instruments back and forth, pumping air into his lungs by squeezing a large rubber bladder below his chin.  The pain was subsiding and he felt a numbness creeping up over his body starting from his core, extending through his extremities.  He knew his end was near.
An arm flew up and grabbed the giant tube shoved down his throat.  Fleming tore the tube from his mouth as he spat it out.  The doctor yelled at the nurse to restrain the patient, but Fleming managed to blurt out "No!"
He caught the nurse's eye and shook his head pleading, mouthing the word "No" again.  She paused.
Fleming gasped, coughing up blood.  Then he spat out his final words "To be, or not to be?"
CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Amanda sat in front of her dresser, putting on the final touches before her date with Derrick.  She reached up and pulled her hair back studying herself in the mirror.  She thought about Juni and all that had gone on over the past few days.  She pulled a ribbon out of her drawer and tied it around her pony tail.  She reassessed the look and gave it her final approval.
The doorbell rang and she heard her mother answer the door as she quickly finished putting on the final touches.
"Hello Derrick."  She walked across the room and greeted him with a small kiss.
"Amanda.  Are we going for a jog?"
Amanda's mom quickly spun around with that comment removing herself from the room.
Amanda absorbed the critique.  "No, why?  Do you not like my hair pulled back?"
"No, I like it.  I was just kidding.  It looks nice."  He looked around to see her mother had already left the room.  "So are we ready?"
Amanda coldly walked past Derrick out the front door.  Derrick was left standing in empty room.  He jogged to catch up to his fiancée.  "I guess I am going jogging."
Amanda didn't reply but simply waited at the car for him to open the door.
"I was just kidding.  You look nice.  It's just a different look for you.  That doesn't mean I don't like it."
Amanda softened her stance a little but still offered no reply.
As they drove off Derrick tried to recover.  "This isn't about last night is it?"
Amanda stiffened with that remark.
"I had no idea you would be there.  I pulled you out of there as quickly as I could."
"What about Juni and his father?"
Derrick shifted in his seat.  "Why are you so concerned about Juni Little?"
"And his father?  Oh I don't know.  Maybe because they were innocent bystanders too, just like me.  And you told me you would take care of them."
"I was pushing my luck pulling you out of that scene."
"It doesn't even make sense that the Sheriff's Department was even there.  You had six men to arrest one man for taking a document from a chicken packing plant?  Doesn't that seem excessive?"
"I don't second guess my orders.  You shouldn't have been there in the first place."
"I told you why we were there.  And you still don't believe me."
"I believe you.  I just don't believe that nut job.  You need to leave the police work to the professionals."
"What if there are more giant bears out there?  What if he is right?"
"We can't cause a panic over a half-baked theory by some English nut job."
Amanda decided to drop the debate, but something else gnawed at her.  She read the files on Juni after Abby left.  Bob Ramsey had filed his first assessment on Juni on Friday, giving him top marks and even wrote a comment stating he was an exceptional employee.  The last document was an email from Derrick's father instructing Abby to terminate Juni's employment.
"What do you know about Juni getting fired today?"
"Why would I know anything about that?"
"Don't you think it was odd that your team hauled him into jail, and the next day he gets fired from your family's company?"
"I had nothing to do with it.  This is the first I've heard of it."  Derrick paused.  "But if you ask me, I'd say you are way too wrapped up with this kid.  I think you should stop associating yourself with him.  He almost got you arrested last night."
"Oh, really?  And to think I was blaming you for that."

Juni was the last to crawl out of bed.  He heard his family milling around in the kitchen, pulling out the silverware drawer, slamming it closed, grabbing plates and saucers.  It was a familiar racket he didn't realize he had missed so much over the past week, rising before dawn to head off to Larson.  He wandered into the kitchen where his mom greeted him and pulled out his chair for him to sit.
"Good morning sweetheart.  It's nice to see you around the house at this hour."
"Morning Mom, Dad… Maggie."
"Whoa, Juni, you look like you're still half asleep," Maggie said.
Juni reached over and mussed Maggie's hair.  "I'm still trying to catch up on all the sleep I've been deprived of the last week."
"Well, I know it's never pleasant to be…" Margo searched for the words she wanted to say.  "…let go, but it's nice to have our Juni back home during the day."
"Gee thanks, Mom." Juni said sarcastically.
Sam folded his paper and set it down.  "So, what's the plan for today, Juni?  Are you ready to pound the pavement, find that next job?"
"I don't know Dad.  The whole job thing kinda left a bad taste in my mouth."
"Well, if you fall off a horse, you gotta get right back on it."
"What's with all the clichés Dad?  And what about everything that's going haywire around town?  We still need to do something, or did you forget?"
Sam shot Juni a look that told him to drop it.
Juni ignored the cue.
"We need to find Fleming.  We need…"
Sam interrupted.  "Margo, did that shipment of key chains come in yesterday.  We have got to go through our inventory.  It's a mess right now."
"Dad!"
Sam shot Juni another look.  "Juni.  Let's talk about this later.  I need to finish getting ready.  Here, I'm done with this.  Would you like to read the paper?"  Sam set the paper on the corner of the table next to Juni.
"Dad.  I think…"
Sam tapped the paper with his finger.  "I've got to get ready for work, Juni."
Juni looked down at the paper.  On the front page the headline read "British expatriate run down in parking lot, died from injuries."  He glanced back up at his father, who simply tapped the paper one more time and walked off.  Juni unfolded the paper and read the article.
"Dr. Alan Fleming of Sussex, England was attacked Tuesday afternoon in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot on Jefferson Street in Gatlinburg by an alleged car thief attempting to steal the doctor's car.  The suspect ran over the victim during his attempt to escape, and fled the scene in the stolen vehicle which was later recovered when found abandoned in a nearby neighborhood.
The doctor later died at Sevier County Regional Hospital from the wounds he sustained in the attack.  The Sheriff's office has no leads…"
Juni set the paper down on the table, and pushed in his chair.
"Aren’t you going to eat, Juni?"
"No, I'm not hungry at the moment."

A half dozen reporters filled the lobby of the Sheriff's office, clamoring for an update on the vicious killing that happened late in the Tuesday news cycle.  The Gatlinburg Gazette got the exclusive that morning, but the remaining news agencies were not going to let the story fade away that quickly.  When word came that a British citizen was involved, the international intrigue alone made it a hot story.  Doc walked into George's office and plopped down in one of his well-worn visitor's seats.  George had always been a person for Doc to rely on, either as a sounding board for a theory he might be trying to vet on a particularly difficult case, or to ask advice on a new fishing rod he was considering, it didn't matter.  George was one of his top confidants, especially with Tom gone.
"Well, I got the call from the Governor.  It's official.  You are looking at the new Interim Sheriff of Sevier County."
George pulled his feet down off his desk.  "Well, well.  Congratulations Doc.  I knew this would come down sooner or later."
"Are you okay with this, George?  I know you have the most tenure between us."
"I called the Governor myself Doc and told him this was the right move to make.  This was your job all along.  Everyone knew it.  I'm happy for you, Sheriff."
Doc grinned.  "That does sound nice… Sheriff Rainey.  Well, I wanted you to be the first to know.  I appreciate all you've done for me over the years, and I know I can count on you for years to come."
George jumped up and extended his hand.  "Absolutely Doc.  You know I've got your back."
"So what do we have on this Fleming case?  Hit and run, but with his own stolen car.  That's an odd one."
George opened a case file and dropped it on his desk.  In it were crime scene photos and Fleming's Virginia driver's license.
"I thought he was from England."
"He is an English citizen, over here on a work visa.  He worked for Anderson-Davis Pharmaceuticals up until a week ago."
"What was he doing here in Tennessee?" Doc asked.
"Don't know.  Still trying to figure that out."
"That photo looks familiar.  Fleming.  I remember this guy.  He was trying to talk to me about the goddamned giant bear."
George rubbed his chin.  "Really?  That's odd.  I wonder what to make of that."
"Don't know.  What about the car.  Do we have any prints?"
"So far just the victim's."
"What's this?"  Doc pulled out a written statement.
"That, oh it's nothing as far as I can tell.  Just one of the attending nurses at the hospital."
"It says here his last words were 'To be, or not to be?'"
"That is the question," George said with a smirk.
"He struck me as a strange man when I met him.  At least he was consistent.  Okay George, keep on it.  I've got a throng of reporters waiting for an update.  Let's try to give them something."

A loud cacophony of boys chattering filled the school bus as it pulled through the town square past the County Court house in Gatlinburg.  Elgin Peters sat proudly in the driver's seat.  For the past thirty-nine years he drove that bus of Cub Scouts to the Two Forks Ranch on the outskirts of town.  It was the one thing he still could claim as his job after retiring from his civil engineering job three years earlier.  A Suburban followed close behind towing a closed trailer containing all of their tents and camping gear.
Juni sat at the traffic signal flipping stations on his radio waiting for the light to change.  He looked up just as the blue and white church bus from First United Methodist Knoxville blew through the intersection.  He grinned at the three boys hanging their arms out the half opened windows making goofy faces at him and the other cars sitting at the intersection, remembering what it was like to be a kid on a Cub Scout camping trip.  There were a lot of great camps in eastern Tennessee, but none greater than Two Forks just up the road where the bus headed.
"Oh shit!  Two Forks!" he exclaimed before gunning his car through the intersection when the light turned green.

Juni raced up the steps of the Sheriff's office stopping only when he reached the dispatcher's desk.
"I need to talk to the Deputy."
Tammy looked up from the paperwork she was working on.  "What is the nature of the issue?"
Juni's trust in the lower ranks of the Sheriff's department had been shaken by his recent experience, coupled with the suspicious killing of Dr. Fleming after being harassed by Derrick Larson and his renegade squad.  "I'd rather discuss it with the Deputy."
Tammy rolled her eyes.  "Hold on."
Just then Derrick Larson walked behind her in the bull pen area.  "Hey Derrick.  I have someone who needs to talk to an officer."
Juni backed away from the desk.  "You know what.  That's okay.  I can call later and make an appointment or something."
Tammy looked confused.  "An appointment?"
Derrick turned to see Juni standing there.  "Is this the guy?"
Juni started to turn and walk off when George walked up.  "Tammy?  Was this gentleman looking for me?"
Derrick tried to catch George's eye.  "George."
"That's okay Derrick.  I've got it."
George turned to Juni and extended his hand.  "Deputy Valentine.  How can I help you today?"
"Juni Little.  I need to talk to someone about a potential threat to the community."
"Oh, okay.  Well why don't you come this way and we can talk in private.  Doesn't sound like a conversation we should have in the lobby."
"No, sir.  I appreciate you hearing me out."
George sat behind his desk and listened as Juni began.
"Well, it's hard to explain."
George nodded.  "Just start from the beginning."
"The giant bear that your team killed… it's not the only one.  There are two more still roaming the area now."
"Well, Juni, I know your father called in something Monday evening, claiming more monster bears were on the loose.  But we've had no more reports since we killed the one."
"Well, there was this man, Dr. Fleming.  He worked for this big pharmaceutical company.  And they make a special chicken feed, ZXR-82.  It targets the pituitary gland… well, anyway it's made to increase the size of chickens."
George tried to suppress a grin.  "Okay, go on."
Juni sighed, sensing he was about to lose his attentive audience.  "So this drugged up chicken feed is delivered from the Larson Poultry plant to the chicken farms around the area.  Only one of these crates was lost along the way."
"Okay… How do you know this?"
"There are shipping forms.  They show how many left Larson and how many are signed for at the farm.  Well one of the forms showed one less at the destination than the origination.  This happened about fifteen months ago."
"So you think the bears got into this feed and somehow were affected."
"Fleming thought so.  And, well, I actually saw the missing crate, only I didn't know it at the time."
George chuckled.  "You saw the missing crate, well if that don't beat all the luck."
"Deputy Valentine, I not only saw the crate, I saw the bears with it.  My dad took a picture of it.  And it had the company name printed on the side of the crate."
George's smile vanished.  "You have a picture of the bears eating from the crate."
"Yes sir."
George took on a much more deliberate tone.  "What else do you know?"
"Fleming took the paperwork proving there was a missing crate of the ZXR-82."
"Do you know where this evidence is that Fleming took?"
"No, he said he had it somewhere safe.  Which makes me think he thought someone might be out to keep that information from making it to you."
George sat quietly digesting everything Juni had just divulged.  Juni wanted to mention the raid on Fleming's hotel room but feared Derrick had orchestrated that without going through the proper channels.  If that were the case and Juni mentioned it, it could pit Juni against a member of the Sheriff's department and thus put Deputy Valentine in a precarious situation, or worse, cast doubt over everything Juni said.
"I hate to tell you Juni, but Alan Fleming was killed yesterday afternoon."
Juni looked down at the floor.  "Yes I heard."
George frowned as he considered everything Juni had revealed.
"Does anyone else know about all this, what Fleming told you?"
"My dad knows, and Amanda Pressman."
"And if I bring them in here they'll corroborate your story."
"Yes sir."
George sat back in his chair for a minute, considering any more questions he needed to ask.
"Okay, I appreciate you coming in."
Juni turned to leave, but stopped before clearing the door.  "Oh, one more thing.  I just saw a busload of Cub Scouts heading out towards Two Forks Ranch.  It's not safe out there with these bears still roaming the area, someone should warn them."
"Thanks for letting me know, Juni.  Again I appreciate you stepping forward."
Juni found his way out of the bull pen area and past the front dispatcher's desk.  He looked down to check his watch when he realized he wasn't wearing it.  He had first noticed it missing the morning he got fired from Larson, before he left for work.  He hadn't given much thought before, but he couldn't recall where he'd last seen it.  Then it hit him.
He stopped at the dispatcher's desk.  "Excuse me ma'am.  I was in here on Monday night and I think I left my watch here."
Tammy rolled her eyes again.  "Here," she said as she pulled out a form.  "Fill out this form and turn it in to lost and found."
"No, I'm sorry.  I didn't lose it.  Your jailer took it from me."
"Oh." Tammy looked surprised.  She hadn't sized Juni up as a past offender.
She tapped on her keyboard.  "What's your name?"
"Juni Little. J-U-N-I.  It could be under Juniper."
Tammy typed and backspaced and typed more on her keyboard.  "I'm sorry, Mr. Little.  I don't show you in our system."
"Are you sure you don't have me?  What about Samuel Little?"
"Nope.  There were no Littles here on Monday night."
Juni stared at the back of the computer screen, thinking.  Larson had kept their arrest off the books.  He started to walk off but paused to ask one more question.
"I'm sorry can you check one more name?  Was there a Fleming here on Monday night?"
Tammy typed the name into the computer.  "Nope. no Fleming."
"Okay, thanks."
"Oh wait.  There's a Fleming here in the system from yesterday.  Oh, wait no.  Sorry that was an entry in the coroner's log."
Juni feigned a smile.  "Thanks."
"You're welcome.  Have a nice day."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Juni pulled his Jeep into one of the several empty spots at "The Little Art and Souvenir Shop".  He entered the store casually glancing around.  He spotted his mom in the back store room and his dad squatting in the back corner straightening up one of the displays.  He quickly made a beeline for his father.
"Dad.  We need to talk."
Samuel was engrossed in his task.  "Okay, what about?"
Juni huffed under his breath.  "Dad!"
Samuel looked up.  "What is it Juni?"
"Something isn't right about all that's been going on around here.  I think Fleming may have been killed on purpose."
"Well, son, it was a car thief.  People who steal cars probably are the same kind of people who kill people on purpose."
"No, Dad.  I mean it was a setup from the beginning.  The car thief just abandoned the car after getting away.  That doesn't sound right."
"Okay, Juni."  Sam arranged the final few items on the shelf and stood up.  "So what are you saying?"
"Didn't something seem off about the raid the other night?  Six armed officers storming Fleming's room for what?  He stole some paperwork from a chicken packing plant.  Doesn't that seem excessive?"
"Maybe a little.  I'll give you that."
"And do you remember what Fleming said about the papers he took.  He said he had them in a safe place.  Why would he say that?"
Sam looked back at his son, shrugging.  "He was a little eccentric."
"I think someone was looking for those papers, and I think they still are."
"And you think someone killed him to get those papers."
"No, I think they killed him to keep him from leaking those papers to the press."
Sam snorted at the suggestion.  "Don't be ridiculous Juni.  Who would kill a man to keep that from getting out?"
"Maybe the company who lost the shipment.  Three people have died already because that shipment was lost and ignored.  Don't you think there could be a backlash against Larson if that got out?"
Sam scratched his jaw as he pondered the conclusions of his son.  "I don't know.  It still seems a bit farfetched."
"I think we might be next."
Sam scoffed.  "Oh come on Juni.  Don't you think you are being a bit paranoid?"
"I just left the Sheriff's office.  Derrick Larson kept our arrest off the books Monday night.  He is up to something."
"How do you know that?"
"I went to talk to Deputy Valentine, to tell him what we know about Fleming and the missing crate of ZXR-82.  When I was leaving I remembered they took my watch when we were locked up, so I stopped by the dispatch desk to ask about it."
"And?"
"And the dispatcher had no record of us in the system for that night.  We were kept off the books."
"Hmmm.  But we were just in the way anyway.  Maybe they didn't want record of us being arrested because they might look bad, arresting two innocent bystanders."
"Okay, but I asked if they had Fleming on the logs for that night, and he didn't show up either.  So why would they keep his arrest off the record?  He was the target of the raid."
"So you think Derrick is in on the cover up, including a murder?  I don't know Juni."
"Not just Derrick.  There were six officers involved in that raid.  I don't know what to think anymore Dad, but we need to watch our backs.  I'm not sure who we can trust."
Sam shook his head.  Juni was not normally one to blow things out of proportion.  That was his mother's role in the family.  He continued rearranging merchandise on the lower shelf in front of him as he mulled over Juni's conspiracy theory.
Suddenly, Sam lost the color in his face as he looked up at Juni.  "We have to go!"
"Where?  What's wrong?"
"Your sister… She's staying over at Stephanie Larson's house right now."

Sam and Juni waited anxiously on the front porch of the Larson household after ringing the bell.  They were relieved to see the warm and friendly smile of Mrs. Larson when she opened the door.
"Samuel, Juni, please come in."
"Good afternoon Beth", Sam said as they entered.
"I'll go get Maggie for you.  Please sit.  Make yourself comfortable."
Juni and Sam sat on the large sectional sofa in the Larson family room while Mrs. Larson disappeared into the back of the house to retrieve Maggie.  They allowed themselves to relax a little as they sat there.  Juni began to feel a bit silly for sounding like such an alarmist as he glanced around at the well decorated upper middle class family home of the Larson's.  But he reminded himself of the suspicious behavior of the Sheriff's department and the offbeat Englishman lying in a drawer in the morgue likely because of the secrets he shared.
All of those thoughts subsided when Maggie turned the corner, carrying her Barbie motorhome, bouncing as she walked.  "Hey, squirt."
"Hey Juni.  Why are you and Dad both picking me up?"
Juni looked at his father.
Sam smiled and said "We were out on an errand together nearby so we thought we'd go ahead and pick you up."
The front door handle jiggled, drawing Juni's attention before it swung open.  Derrick's dad and grandfather entered the house, each with a golf bag slung over their shoulder.
Beth entered the room behind Maggie, with Stephanie trailing close behind.  She greeted her husband with a quick peck.  "So how was your round of golf this afternoon?"
The elder of the pair, Eldon Larson, spoke first.  "It was terrible.  I don't know why I still try to chase that damn tiny white ball over a hundred acre course all afternoon.  Whoever came up with this game was a…"
Beth cut Eldon off midsentence.  "Granddad, we have a few guests, some of them young and impressionable."
Jim Larson picked up where his father left off.  "It was a very nice day to be out on the course.  Much better than being stuck in an office, don't you think Pop?"
"Well, I suppose so."
"Jim, you've met Sam and Juni Little before" Beth said.
Jim extended his hand.  "Yes, I think we've met once or twice before."
Juni felt awkward shaking the hand of the man he suspected had given the order to cut him from the payroll.  He hoped that Larson felt as awkward as he did, but his insidious smile indicated otherwise.
Eldon paid no attention to the exchange between his son and the Littles while he set down his golf bag and hung up his baseball cap.  As the pleasantries wrapped up he entered the room behind his son.
"Pop this is Sam and Juni Little…  And of course Maggie, who I think you have seen running around here this morning."
Eldon looked over the two men, scrutinizing them.  He was an old school, hard edged bastard and took little crap from people his whole life, a trait that helped him become a successful businessman, but he'd never been described as a pleasant person to be around.  "Little, huh?  Didn't I hear some talk about someone named Little the other day."
Jim's resilient smile waivered a bit as his indiscreet father referenced private conversations they’d had regarding Juni.
"I'm not sure what you heard, pop.  Maggie Little is a very good friend of Stephanie's."  Jim paused hoping that would be sufficient to cover his dad's rambling, then added "And Derrick was at the Little's house when he shot the giant bear.  We certainly talked a lot about that the other day."
Sam offered his hand.  "It's nice to meet you sir."
Eldon shook Sam's hand.  "So what do you do for a living?"
"I run a small art and souvenir shop near the national park."
"Hmmm.  Souvenirs.  Sounds like a waste.  But at least you're your own boss.  You do own it, right?"
"Yes sir.  It's…"
Eldon cut him off.  "There's something to be said about a man who's his own boss."
Everyone stood looking awkwardly at each other hoping that Eldon was done commenting on Sam's value as a man.
"Well, Juni, Maggie, we need to get going.  Thanks again Beth, Jim, for having her over."
"Anytime Sam.  You know we love having her over", Beth replied.
Juni and Sam looked at each other as they walked to the car.
"Thanks Dad", Juni said to Sam.
"Thanks for what?"
"Thanks for not being a bitter old hard-ass like that."
Sam laughed.  "You think he was a hard father to live with?"
"Yeah, I do.  That didn't happen when he got old.  That's taken years to perfect."
"Yeah, you've gotta feel for Jim Larson a little bit when you meet his old man."
Juni considered for a moment Jim Larson's life under the roof of Eldon Larson.  "Maybe.  You might have to give him the benefit of the doubt."

Jim Larson climbed into his Lexus, heading to the store to pick up a gallon of milk and a few other sundries his wife said she needed to make dinner that evening.  He punched in a number on his cell phone.
"So what's the damage with the Littles?  How much do they know?" Larson asked.
The gruff voice growled on the other end of the line.  "They know enough to make things difficult for you.  And so does the girl."
"She is off limits.  I told you that."
"Yeah, well do you think she is going to keep quiet, when we take out her friend and his father?"
"Don't worry about her.  I'll take care of it, as long as you make the Littles look like an accident."
"You have to remember, your neck isn't the only one on the line.  We can't afford any loose ends."
Larson gripped the steering wheel tight.  "When I say I will take care of it, I mean I'll take care of it.  You don't need to concern yourself with the girl."

Sam stayed behind at the store to close up while Margo left with Juni and Maggie to prepare dinner.  Sam's mind raced with everything going on.  It was such a departure from the serene setting they had grown to love over the past fifteen years.  He was sure things would settle soon enough, once they were sure the killers that now roamed the piney wooded foot hills were eradicated.  He glanced over at the picture hanging on the wall, The Arrangement.  He thought about the joy he felt when they stumbled upon the innocuous scene, a once in a dozen lifetimes' experience, and he was fortunate enough to catch it on film.  He felt the guilt from all the profits he had made off that photograph, with all the destruction that eventually came from it.  Of course he knew he wasn't in any way responsible for what became of those cute little bear cubs, but had he known, so much could have been prevented.
The door chimes sounded, waking him from his introspection.  "I'm sorry.  We're closed.  I must not have turned the sign…"
Sam stopped mid-sentence when he turned to see a strange man standing in the door with a pistol drawn and pointed at him.
"Just empty the cash register."
Sam raised his hands instinctively.  "Okay, no problem."  Sam moved slowly towards the register keeping his eyes on the gunman.  He punched in a no sale, and the register door slid open revealing the small amount of cash from the day's sales.  He backed away giving the robber plenty of room to access to the cash drawer.
The gunman yelled at him angrily.  "Empty it!"
Sam cautiously moved back toward the drawer while the gunman looked on.  He glanced back and forth around the store nervously.  "Who else is here?"
Sam hesitated.
"I said who else is here!" he shouted.
"No one.  It's just me."
"Are you sure?  You aren't lying to me?  Your wife ain't in the back?"
"No, she's gone.  It's just me.  Please just let me get you the money so you can leave."  Sam scooped all the cash out of the drawer while the man stood nervously in front of the door.  Sam held the cash in his hands while the robber just stood there.
Sam spoke slowly, trying not to agitate the man.  "Let me get you a bag."
The man had a wild and confused look in his eye.
"For the money," Sam added.
"Okay, sure."
He watched Sam carefully grab a Little Art and Souvenir Shop bag from under the counter and stuff the cash in it.
As Sam slowly extended the bag towards him he noticed the man's breathing increase, the sweat on his brow and upper lip began beading up.  Despite the situation something about the man caused Sam even more concern than he'd expect from a man holding a gun attempting a robbery.  Sam realized the man had no intent of leaving him alive.  He swung the bag of money forward dropping it in front of the sales counter between the two men, at the man's feet.
When the man dropped his eyes to the floor for a second, Sam made his move.  He dropped behind the counter when he heard the first gunshot ring out loudly.  He moved down the floor behind the counter towards the back storage room.  Another two shots sounded as the gunman leaned over the counter taking wild shots at Sam as he scurried along the floor.  One hit the carpeted floor by his hand, the other stung as it buried into the back of his left leg.  The sales counter formed an L-shape that ran from the entrance of the store to just past the doorway to the store room.  Sam continued on the ground around the corner.
The assailant frantically ran along the front edge of the counter firing shots toward the ground but unable to get a clean look at his target.  Bullets continued to hit the floor very near Sam as he moved.
Sam grabbed an open canister of souvenir ink pens that the gunman had knocked behind the counter and swiped it at the hand holding the gun just above his head as another round fired, just missing Sam's head.  The souvenir pens scattered all over the counter and the floor.  Sam sat with his back against the counter looking up, waiting for the gunman's next move.  Suddenly the gun swung back over the counter and fired a quick burst of shots very near his face.  Another bullet struck him on the inside of his already injured thigh.  Sam clutched a couple of the ink pens and swung them up striking the back of the gunman's hand with their pointed ends.  Another round fired grazing Sam's right ear, nearly deafening him from the percussion of the gunfire.
The gun pulled back and Sam heard a shout of pain from his assailant.  He lunged toward the store room door handle.  One more shot fired striking Sam in the back of his shoulder, followed by a few clicks.  The clip was empty.  Sam turned the knob and fell through the doorway.  He heard footsteps rushing around the counter.  He pulled himself the rest of the way in the room and slammed the door closed behind him.  The man reached the doorknob just as Sam turned the latch, locking it.  Sam moved to the back of the room while the man beat on the door.  Sam limped over to the back cabinet and felt along the top of it with his good ar.  He pulled down his shotgun and checked the magazine.
The noise outside the door stopped.  Sam eyed the door waiting for something to happen.  His ears still rang from the loud gunfire in such close proximity to his head, so he couldn’t hear anything.  He pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed 911.
The operator came on the line.  "How may I assist you?"
"I'm being robbed.  There is an armed man.  I've been shot a few times."
"Can you give me your location?" the operator asked just before a series of shots began firing at the latch on the door.
Sam pointed the shotgun at the closed door.  He squeezed the trigger and a large blast rang through the small room blowing a four inch hole in the door.  The shots stopped outside the door as it slowly drifted open.  Sam pumped the shotgun loading the next shell and stared down the barrel through the small hole in the door.
Sam's phone sat on the desk.  "Sir, are you okay?"
Sam kept his eyes trained on the door.
"Sir?  Was that gunfire?  Sir!  Are you okay?"
Sam picked up the phone.  "Please send help."

Margo rushed through the double doors to the nursing station.  "Where is my husband?"
Juni followed closely behind with his sister in hand.  "Come on Maggie.  Let's go sit over here while Mom figures out what is going on."
Maggie followed Juni quietly over to the waiting room.  She wasn't sure what was going on.  All she knew is that someone called their house and her Mom started crying, and that something bad had happened to her dad.  Juni had to drive them to the hospital because her mom was too upset to drive.
"Maggie, can you sit here for just a minute?  I'm going to go right over there where Mom is and try to find out what is going on."
Maggie stared back at Juni with her big doe eyes.  "Uh huh."
"Okay, I'll be right back."
When Juni walked up he overheard the nurse explaining that his dad was in surgery and that she didn't know anything else.
Margo punched her finger on the counter.  "I want to talk to someone who knows what condition my husband is in right now."
"Ma'am.  I'm sorry.  I will let the doctor know you are here as soon as I can.  Please take a seat in the waiting room in the meantime."
Juni stepped up and took his mom by the shoulders.  "Come on mom.  Let's go sit down.  I'll see what I can find out, but this isn't helping."
He walked his mom over and sat her next to Maggie.  "Stay here.  I'll be right back."
The emergency room was bustling that night.  Sitting across the row of seats where he left his mom and Maggie was a family of seven.  Their chatter alone drowned out the TV blaring in the corner of the room playing a basketball game.  Across the waiting room Juni spotted a uniformed officer of the Sheriff's department standing near the ambulatory entrance.
Juni walked straight up to the officer, reading his name badge.  "Excuse me, Officer Beemer.  My Father was involved in some sort of incident and was brought here.  Can you tell me what is going on?  His name is Samuel Little."
Chris Beemer recognized Juni from the raid of Fleming's hotel room.  "Your father was involved in an attempted robbery at his store.  The assailant shot him several times before fleeing the scene.  When we arrived on the scene he was still conscious but in pretty bad shape.  The paramedics arrived shortly after and brought him here.  That's all I know right now."
Juni stood in front of the officer stunned by what he heard.  "Is he gonna be okay?  Where was he shot?"
"From what I could tell he was shot one or more times in the leg, and one or more times in the back.  He lost a good amount of blood."
Juni looked back over at his mother.  The sight of her caused a rush of emotion to envelop him without warning.  He looked down at the floor to regain his composure.  "You said it was an attempted robbery?"
"I don't know any more about the crime scene at the moment.  The Sherriff sent me over here after he called your mom."
Juni stared at the star on Officer Beemer's chest, processing everything.  "Okay, thanks.  I appreciate you talking to me."
Officer Beemer walked off leaving Juni in the hallway with his thoughts.  He waited for a moment before returning to his mom and Maggie.
Margo looked up at Juni.  "So did you find out anything?"
Juni looked around without making eye contact.  He couldn't get into the details of what happened to his Dad in front of Maggie.  "No, not yet.  I'm going to make a call.  I'll be right back."
Juni walked back over to the hallway and pulled out his cell.

Amanda sat next to Derrick on his parent's sofa in the family room.  Her cell phone rang in her purse.  She picked up her phone and saw Dr. Flores.
Amanda stood to take the call in the other room.
Derrick became suspicious.  "Who's calling?"
"My gynecologist."
"Seriously?"
Amanda flashed her phone towards him.
"Oh, sorry."
Amanda walked into the guest bedroom and answered the call.  "Hey, what's up?"
"Can you come down to the hospital, my dad…"  Juni stopped midsentence.
"What?  The hospital?  Juni, what happened to your dad?"
"My dad was shot.  I'm down here with my mom and Maggie and I need someone to sit with Maggie so I can talk to Mom about what happened to Dad."
"Oh my god, of course.  I'll be right there."

Juni sat quietly with his mom and Maggie.  He wanted to talk to someone about what happened to his dad and have them tell him it was all going to be okay.  But his dad was the person he could count on for that kind of emotional support.  His mom was the one to worry in his family.  She was going to lose her composure when he told her the news.  It would be hard enough to withstand that onslaught of emotion for her, but he couldn't do it in front of Maggie and he knew that conversation would take more than a few minutes.  He had to be patient.  Help was on the way.
Just as promised Amanda walked into the ER spotting Juni right away.  She ran to Juni and gave him a big hug.  "I'm sorry about your Dad.  Derrick told me all about it on the way over."
Juni pulled back and saw Derrick Larson walking smugly into the ER behind his fiancée.  Juni walked around Amanda and bolted toward Derrick.  "What are you doing here you asshole!"
Derrick's eyes widened as the enraged five and a half foot Juni Little barreled into him, pulling up only at the last second, and shooting a finger into his face.  "Haven't you done enough already?"
Amanda raced up behind Juni.  "Juni, Derrick is here to help."
"I bet he is," Juni spewed venomously.
"Hold on man.  I'm trying to be understanding here, with your father all shot up."
"Derrick!" Amanda scolded.
"What?"
"Don't be so callous."
"No," Juni started back at Derrick.  "Let him brag.  It was his buddies that probably did this anyway."
"Juni!" Amanda scoffed at the accusation.
"What are you talking about kid?  Your dad got jacked by a robber.  I don't know if you noticed the badge, but I'm one of the good guys."
"That badge means nothing you big prick!  You and your kind give cops a bad name."
Juni's barb dug deep into Derrick's thick skin.  "Listen you little punk, why don't we take it outside while I'm out of uniform."
"In uniform, out of uniform, what does it matter?  You do what you want regardless."
"Juni Little!  What is wrong with you?" said Margo standing just behind her son.
Juni turned to see her with her hand on his shoulder.  "Nothing mom.  I just don't care for the way Officer Larson conducts Sheriff's business."
"Mrs. Little," Derrick said addressing Margo.  "I'm sorry about what happened to your husband, but I'm afraid I must be going.  Come on Amanda."
"What has happened to my husband!" Margo demanded realizing she was being kept in the dark.
"Derrick, you go.  I'm staying." Amanda said.
Derrick rolled his eyes in disdain at Juni.  "Good evening Ma'am.  I'm sure your son can fill you in."
Juni seethed as Derrick walked off.
Margo turned to her son.  "Juni what is going on with your father?  Tell me now!"
Juni turned to Amanda.  "Amanda, Can you please go sit with my sister for a minute."
"Sure."  Amanda turned and walked over to Maggie who sat quietly despite the disturbance brewing in the hall at the hands of her brother.
Juni took his mom by the hand.  "Walk with me." 
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Three boys, each armed with a good sturdy walking stick engaged each other in a mock sword fight long enough to attract the attention of one of the chaperones.
"You boys stop that before someone gets smacked in the side of the head."
Elgin Peters emerged from his tent and checked his watch.  It was time for the group campfire.
He caught the eye of his second in command.  "Bob, let's get the boys rounded up.  I want to get to bed on time tonight."

Juni sat with his sister on one side and his Mom on the other.  Amanda sat on the other side of Maggie.  One of Sam's doctors had come out earlier and given a brief update.  They had removed the bullet in his upper back and one of the bullets in this leg, but the last bullet was lodged next to a major artery in his leg and they were proceeding with great caution to keep from causing him to bleed out.  He also mentioned Sam was drifting in and out of consciousness, but felt he would likely come out of the ordeal with a complete recovery.  But after that, the wait dragged on for another hour without an update.
Amanda tapped Juni on the shoulder.  “I'm going to grab a cup of coffee if you care to walk with me.”
Juni nodded and stood.  Maggie scooted over into his seat and laid her head down in Margo's lap.
"So are you going to tell me what all of that was about with Derrick back there?"
"Did he tell you about Fleming?"
"No, what about him?  Fleming is not a very popular topic with Derrick."
"He's dead."
"Dead!  What…  How?"
"He was run over by his own car in an attempted car theft."
"Oh my God, Juni.  That's crazy.  And now your dad…  I mean I know your dad getting shot is a much bigger deal, but that's so…"
"A bizarre coincidence?"
"Yes, I'm sorry.  I feel like I'm lumping these two things together, and I don't want to make light of your father's situation by comparing him to some guy we didn't even know."
Juni lowered his voice.  "But that's the thing Amanda.  It is too bizarre a coincidence.  I think they could be related."
Amanda wrinkled her nose, confused by Juni's suggestion.  "Wait… You think these two attacks were related."
"Yes, and I think the intention in both attacks was to kill, not to steal."
"Why would you think that Juni?" Amanda asked pointedly.
"Don't you see it?  It's a cover up.  Fleming was about to take the papers he stole from Larson to the Sheriff, and then we got involved.  Larson got run down by his own car and my dad got shot up for a couple of hundred bucks.  That makes no sense.  But they both knew the truth about ZXR-82 and the monsters that are still out there."
"I don't know Juni.  You are jumping to a lot of conclusions."
"Maybe, but I'd rather not sit around waiting for someone to try to take me out."
Amanda's eyes widened.  "You think we're next."
Juni looked down at the floor.  "I'm not sure how much danger you are in as long as you play it cool."
"I know just as much as you.  Why would you be a target and not me?"
Juni didn't answer.
Amanda stared back at Juni until she recalled his earlier outburst.  "Juni… You don't really think Derrick had something to do with these attacks?"
Juni felt a tug on his shirt sleeve.  He looked down to see Maggie.
"Juni, the doctor's over there talking to mom."
Juni rushed over to listen as the doctor spoke.
The doctor spoke slowly to Margo.  "Your husband is out of surgery.  We were able to remove all of the bullet fragments.  The one in his back missed his spine and didn't hit any major arteries.  The one in the back of his left leg didn't cause a lot of damage either."
Margo sensed the bad news was coming.  "But…"
"But the third bullet nicked a major artery in his thigh.  That was where he lost a lot of blood.  We gave him three units of blood and we were able to remove the last bullet without further damaging the artery.  He should make a full recovery."
Margo's shoulders dropped.  "Oh thank God!"
Juni grabbed his mom and gave her a big hug.
Amanda walked back over to the hallway away from the Little family as they quietly celebrated the good news.  "Derrick.  Come get me.  Yeah, he's going to be fine.  Sorry about all that drama.  I'm sure he was just lashing out at someone.  Okay.  I love you too."
Juni looked over at Amanda as she smiled while talking on her phone.  He knew he would never convince her what he thought to be true about Derrick.  For the time being it was best she didn't believe him.  Maybe she would even begin to doubt that Fleming was telling the truth.  The less she believed in Juni and his theories the safer she would be.
Juni didn't see the man with a large flower arrangement enter the ER and carry them to the desk.  "Excuse me.  These are for a new patient, he just came in tonight.  Samuel Little."
The nurse looked up at the mention of the one name everyone had heard that evening.  That kind of excitement never happened in the Gatlinburg ER so the name Samuel Little had made the rounds through the staff.
"If I might ask, is he going to be okay?"
"We don't give information out on our patients except to family members."
"I understand.  It's just, so upsetting to hear about poor old Sam.  I didn't want to intrude on his family at a time like this.  Please just make sure these get to them."
The nurse smiled.  "From what I heard, and it's just what I've picked up from others conversations, I think he's going to make it."
"Oh, what a relief," Buzz said with a smile before he turned and left.

Mrs. Finn sat in her favorite chair in her living room watching the evening news.  The news anchor's voice boomed through the tiny speakers with the volume cranked up near its peak output.  She liked to remove her hearing aid in the evening to let her ears rest, but still liked to catch the evening news before bed.  Her eyelids began to weigh heavily only a few minutes into the newscast, but she persevered hoping to hold out until the weather forecast.  Bessie raised her head from her prone position at the foot of Mrs. Finn's rocker-recliner and began growling.  Mrs. Finn paid her no attention until she let out a full bark.
"Bessie, hush!"
Bessie lowered her head again resting it on the floor between her front paws, but only for a few seconds before she raised it again and let out another warning bark.
"Bessie!  Stop that barking.  Those critters don't need you getting in their business at this hour."
Bessie refused to yield.  Instead she rose to all fours and trotted to the back windows continuing to bark as she stood in the dark shadows, behind the illumination of the television set, the only light source in that part of the house.
Mrs. Finn capitulated, realizing she would have no peace until she let Bessie out to challenge whatever animal had dared to enter her realm.  She walked to the back door and swung it open.  The hair on Bessie's neck stood on end and she gnarled her fangs, but remained in her position, a good ten feet from the open back door.
Mrs. Finn looked at Bessie annoyed.  "Bessie what has gotten into you?  Do you want to go out or not?"
Bessie stepped sideways keeping her focus on the door but not making any move towards it.
Mrs. Finn turned to look into the darkness outside the door.  She could see nothing.  "Bessie…"
A large mass of fur, fangs and razor sharp claws poured in through the open door engulfing the small frame of Mrs. Finn.  Blood splattered on the bright yellow cabinets of her kitchen and the thin wooden door broke in half as the arm of the beast dragged what remained of the old woman out the doorway.  Bessie continued barking until she no longer sensed the presence of the great beast.  She lay down at the foot of Mrs. Finn's chair and whimpered, unsure what to do without her longtime master and companion to comfort her.
The newscast continued with a feature story on a man who made sculptures out of junkyard cars.

Elgin Peters sat, bleary eyed, between two boys who had picked at one another one too many times that evening during the campfire proceedings.  He checked his watch and noted it was fifteen minutes before ten o'clock, about a half hour before he could finally rest his eyes for the evening.  Bob Long on the other hand was thoroughly enjoying himself, eight minutes deep into a ten minute ghost story.  He had all thirty six boys on the edge of their seat as he described in great detail, the sounds coming from the back of an abandoned school house.
Bob stood up and pretended like he was walking.  "They heard the noise start again from one corner.  Then they heard it coming from the other corner."
He turned on his flashlight, shining it across the faces of several of the boys.  "When they flashed the light in the second corner they saw the school desk.  On the floor were several gum wrappers and a pair of glasses just like the pair Tommy Peters wore when he went missing six years earlier.  Then they heard the chains in the opposite corner, even louder, and a voice moaning."
Bob spun around and flashed the light into the darkness.  At the edge of the light a shadowy figure darted further into the black, startling Bob for a moment, but he continued his story after a short pause.  "They saw an old tattered shirt hung on a limb that jutted through the broken window in the corner.  It was the shirt Tommy had worn the night he disappeared."
Several of the boys began chattering quietly about what they thought was coming next.
Bob jerked the flashlight back towards his frightened audience.  "Then they heard the voice.  It said 'Come to me.  Come to me.'  The boys panicked and raced back towards the other end of the room and started grabbing their gear.  'Come to me.  Come to me.' the voice kept saying over and over."
Many of the smaller boys buried their faces in their folded arms.
The story teller continued.  "And then the voice suddenly stopped."
Bob fell silent.  The night sounds of the deep woods filled the ring of boys around the campfire.  Those hiding their eyes began peeking to see what Bob was doing.  He stood there quietly listening to the gentle sounds of the night.
"And then they saw it!"
Just as Bob sprung his trap a large figure emerged from the shadows.
"Hello boys!"
More than half the boys shrieked at the site of Deputy Valentine appearing out of the shadows.
Bob doubled over, laughing at the boys as they leapt up from their seats.  "Evening Deputy Valentine.  What brings you out here?"
"I was just in this neck of the woods and thought I would drop by and say hello.  That was the arrangement, wasn't it?"  George winked at the boys.
"I don't know what you're talking about Deputy Valentine, but it's sure nice for you to drop by."
"Any time.  Well, I can see you boys are in good hands…  Oh, but I wanted to mention one thing before I left.  Make sure you boys clear out all your trash tonight before you go to bed, and load it in the bear safe dumpster.  Bears don't make great bunk mates."
Elgin stood up stretching his legs.  "As a matter of fact I believe that time has come."
The boys quickly scrambled into teams according to their assigned nightly tasks and split up, hauling away the trash and chairs and remaining food.
Bob shook George's hand.  "Thanks for doing this George.  Your timing was perfect."
"Like I said anytime...  Okay, well I will see you fellas tomorrow, assuming I'm still on the docket," George said.
"Yes sir.  Thanks again for doing this."

Margo sat next the hospital bed where Sam laid asleep after his surgery.  Juni sat in the corner of the room in one chair with Maggie draped around his neck, somehow finding a comfortable enough position to pass out herself.
Juni eyed the big clock on the wall.  It was almost ten thirty.  His dad hadn't been awake longer than a few seconds since coming out of surgery.  Juni worried about the man who assaulted his father.  If his intent was to kill him he knew he would eventually return to finish the job, especially now that Derrick knew he had survived the attack.  There had to be other's in the Sheriff's office that Derrick had in his corner.  He couldn't have orchestrated the raid on Fleming's hotel room by himself and kept it off the record.  He felt reasonably confident he could trust Deputy Valentine.  He had set Juni at ease earlier that day when he spoke with him.  Still he had to be cautious with any additional information he shared with Valentine, assuming he was unaware of the untrustworthy elements within his department.
"Mom, why don’t you take Maggie home with you.  I'll stay up here with dad."
"I was about to suggest you do the same.  I want to be here when your father wakes up."
Juni was afraid she would invoke the spousal concern trump card, but if there was a threat lurking out in the night he couldn't leave his mom there.  But he also didn't want to overly concern her with his cloak and dagger theories, especially if the threat turned out to be nothing more than the construct of an overactive imagination of her teenage son.
"I promise I will call you as soon as he wakes up.  Let me do this Mom.  You need to get some rest."
"I don't know Juni.  I doubt I'll be able to sleep anyway, with him lying in the hospital like this."
Juni had little choice.  He set Maggie down in the chair next to him, and she curled up into a ball without ever waking.  "Mom, there's more to the story than Dad getting shot in a hold up."
Margo looked confused.  "What do you mean, more to the story?"
Juni walked over and closed the door.  "Shhh.  I don't want anyone else to hear.  We're already in enough danger."

Juni walked his mom out to her car carrying Maggie while she still slept.  Margo was reluctant to leave her son at the hospital but as farfetched as his story sounded, it still made enough sense to cause her concern about Sam's safety lying in the hospital bed unconscious.  Juni hurried back to the room.
His heart skipped a beat when he noticed the door to his dad's room hanging open.  He quickly entered the room, tossing the curtain back abruptly that had been pulled closed to obscure the view of people in the hall from the patient.
A woman dressed in dark blue scrubs jumped back.  "Oh my God!  You startled me."
"Sorry.  I didn't realize anyone was in here."  Juni noted the different colored scrubs.  "You're not one of the nurses on this floor."
"Yeah, this isn't my floor.  I work in the ER.  I was working on your father when he came in.  I hope you don't mind.  I was just checking on him."
Juni lied.  "Oh, no, of course not."
Juni noticed the large flower arrangement sitting on the counter by the sink.
"Oh, those were brought into the ER last night for your father.  It's been a pretty crazy week for this place.  Usually it's just broken arms, and heart attacks.  Then here comes your dad."
"Yeah, I suppose so."  Juni folded his arms, acting a bit aloof.
"Well, anyway… first it was Hamlet, and then your dad."
"Hamlet?"
"Oh, yeah, that one was real strange.  It was this British guy.  He had been run over by a car."
Juni nodded.  She was talking about Fleming, a name he would have rather forgotten about at that point.  "So you called him Hamlet because he was British?"
"No.  There was that, but when he was on the table and we were working on him he pulled the tube out of his throat, and said 'To be or not to be' then he died.  It was the weirdest thing."
"Wow.  That's what he said?"
"Hand to God, I swear.  And then your Dad came in here tonight…It was awful.  But the doctor says he's going to be okay.  And he looks pretty good now, to be honest, given the condition he came in here."
Juni looked over at the vase of flowers.  "I'm sorry, but did you say who brought those flowers?"
"No, it was just some guy.  I think he said he was a friend of the family."
"Did you see him?  What did he look like?"
"I don't know, average height and build, he had a crew cut… and tattoos down his arm."
Juni nodded.  The description fit the man much better than the man she described fit the situation.  Something didn't add up, but now Juni had an idea who was behind the recent string of attacks.
CHAPTER NINETEEN

Maggie sat in her usual spot reading the back of the box of cereal she had just poured for herself while slowly eating.  Margo hurried around the kitchen cleaning up the mess left from cooking the meal that went straight from the burner to the refrigerator the night before, having received the call from the Sheriff's office just as she had finished preparing the meal.  She hoped to drop Maggie off at Mrs. Finn's house on the way up to the hospital that morning, but her first two attempts to call her failed to get her on the phone, which was quite odd for the old woman at that hour in the morning.
"Maggie, stop reading that cereal box and finish eating.  I want to get up to the hospital right away.  I'm going to have to cross my fingers that Mrs. Finn is just outside working in her garden and couldn't hear the phone."
Maggie closed up the box of cereal and put it back in the pantry.  "I'm done Mom.  I'm ready whenever you are."
"Then clear your bowl off the table and go brush your teeth."
Margo picked up the phone and tried one more time.  Again the phone rang several times with no answer.
"I hope everything is okay" she said under her breath.

Margo pulled her car up in in front of Mrs. Finn's house.  The house was quiet and all she heard were the morning birds singing in the trees.  She and Maggie both climbed out of the car and ascended the front steps.  They could hear a TV or radio playing in the back of the house.  Margo rang the doorbell.  Bessie immediately began barking.  They both waited for a minute.  There was no answer.  Margo rang the doorbell a second and third time and still there were no signs of movement inside.  Margo began to worry.
"Maggie.  You stay right here.  I'm going around back to see if she's back there."
Margo left the front porch and walked around the left side of the house.  Maggie sat on the front porch swing rocking back and forth waiting for her mom or Mrs. Finn to open the front door.  Around the right corner of the house she spotted Bessie, trotting up.  She climbed the steps and gave Maggie a friendly lick on one of her legs.
"Hey Bessie," Maggie said.  "Where's Mrs. Finn?"
Bessie sat in front of Maggie and barked.
Margo heard the bark from the front of the house.  She could tell as she rounded the corner, that the back door was open.  She surveyed the entire landscaped area of Mrs. Finn's property, but there was no sign of their old neighbor.
"Mrs. Finn?" Margo called out.
No answer.
Margo approached the back door.  As she got closer she could tell something was not right.  The door hung open, but one side of the door frame was torn up.  She climbed the steps.  The scene was gruesome.  Blood caked the back entry.  The door itself barely hung on to the hinges and it was in two pieces.  And then she saw a foot lying on the edge of the kitchen tile.
Margo spun around quickly to keep from vomiting inside the bloody scene.  She pulled out her phone.
"9-1-1, how may I assist you?"
"You need to send someone from the Sheriff's department immediately.  Adele Finn has been killed by something or someone."

The bullpen area of the Sheriff's office was very quiet Thursday morning.  Doc sat in his office reading the newspaper and drinking his morning coffee when Tammy poked her head in his door way.
"Sheriff, I don't know if this is a crank call or not, but we've got a reported murder, or accidental death."
Doc sat his coffee down.  "Where?"
"Adele Finn's house on highway 73."
"Is George in yet?"
"No sir."
"Okay, I'll head over.  As soon as you get a hold of him send him on out there as well."
"Will do."

On top of the crowded dresser sat a blue and white carton bearing the Anderson-Davis Pharmaceutical trademark.  It contained fourteen vials of an opaque yellow tinted fluid, just like the two others still inside George's refrigerator.  He had just set it down for a minute while he washed his hands in the bathroom.  Abigail suffered from several diagnosed medical conditions and one unofficial condition George labeled as "germaphobic".  She insisted he scrub up to his elbows before injecting her with the miracle medicine they were fortunate enough to qualify for through the Anderson-Davis drug therapy test program.  The drug, andophlaxin-hydrezomine, was still in beta testing and would be for several more years, even though it showed remarkable results with Abigail, George's wife of twenty-seven years.
Abigail had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's Disease, in her late thirties and had degenerated to the point where she could not walk by the time she was forty-six.  George was able to get her in the Anderson-Davis program when she was fifty-two, when the doctors were giving her less than a year to live.  June first of that year marked three years and four months since she had started the drug testing program.
"George, dear." Abigail called into the bathroom.  "You are going to be late for work."
George appeared in the doorway with his sleeves rolled up.  "I'm hurrying Abby.  Give me just a second.  I've got to open a new pack of syringes.  Nothing but the best for my girl."
George disappeared into the bathroom.
"You do know how to spoil a woman don't you."  Abigail rolled her wheel chair by hand to the foot of their bed.  She kicked the foot rests to the side and planted her feet on the ground.  Slowly she pushed up with her arms, lifting herself up out of the chair, just enough for her to spin and land on the edge of the bed.
George reappeared with a bag of syringes.  "What are you doing!  You know I don't like you to overdo it like that.  You need to be careful.  I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself."
"Oh, George.  I do this all the time when you're not here."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?  Christ, Abby, I know you are feeling stronger, but you have to be careful.  I can't help you up if you fall when I'm not here."
"Yes, dear.  I promise I will be extra careful.  Just come on and give me my shot so you can get going."
George inserted the needle into one of the vials emptying it as he drew the plunger, filling the syringe with the lifesaving fluid.
Abby leaned over and gave him a quick peck on his forehead as he injected the medicine in her thigh.  "I don't know what I would do without you."

Sam blinked his eyes open for the first time in sixteen hours.  Margo sat in the chair next to his bed reading a celebrity gossip magazine.
"So what did I miss?" Sam asked, a bit confused by his surroundings.
Margo leapt up out of her chair.  "Hey, darling.  How are you feeling?"
"I've felt better."
"Oh, Sam, I was so scared when I heard what happened last night."
Sam rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the light and brought the room into focus.  "I remember getting shot, and shooting at the guy through the store room door, but not much after that."
Juni walked back in the room with Maggie.  They had gone down to the vending machines a few minutes before and just returned.
Maggie squealed when she saw her dad awake and talking to her mom.  "Daddy!  You're awake."
"Hey punkin'," Sam said with a smile.  "How's my little girl?"
"I'm fine dad.  I'm not the one who got shot."
"Well, I suppose that's true.  Trust me it's no fun.  But I sure am glad to see you now."
"Hey, Dad."  Juni stood at the corner of his dad's bed.
Sam could see the weary look on Juni's face accompanying the one of relief.  "Hey, Juni.  It's good to see you too."
"So the doctor said you're going to be fine," Juni explained.  "Full and complete recovery."
Sam shifted in his bed, grunting as he moved.  "That's good to hear.  Did the Sheriff's department say anything about the guy?  Did they catch him?"
"No, he ran off before they got there.  Did you get a good look at him?"
"Oh, yeah.  I'll never forget his face."
Juni glanced into the hallway through the open door seeing if anyone was within earshot of their conversation.  "That's good dad.  That's real good."
Juni looked at his mom.  "Oh, shoot, Mom, I forgot to get you a soda."
"That's okay, Juni I don't really want anything right now."
Juni furrowed his brow at his mom sending her a subtle cue.  "You need to get some juice or something mom.  You've been up here all morning without anything to drink.  Why don't you take Maggie with you."
"Oh, okay," Margo replied.  "Come on Maggie.  Let’s go downstairs to the cafeteria to see what they have."
Maggie shrugged.  "Okay, sure.  Can you buy me a thing of yogurt while we're down there?"
"Sure thing, honey."  She turned to Sam.  "We won't be too long dear."
Sam smiled and nodded as best he could with his head propped up by a pillow.
Juni walked them out of the room, closing the door behind them, and then turning to his father with a look Sam could translate, even through the fog of his pain medication.
Sam sighed.  "You don't have to tell me…You think this was more than a random robbery."

The sixth patrol car pulled up in front of Adele Finn's home, with its patrol lights flashing on top like the other five that had arrived earlier.  A dozen officers had the property cordoned off so that any random passersby would know to move along.  Doc stood inside the living room allowing the forensics team enough room to gather the bodily evidence strewn across the tiled kitchen floor and against the walls and counter.  George had arrived in the last squad car, and wandered through the front of the house to find Doc studying the scene.
"I thought you said you killed the damn thing." Doc fired at his friend with a sharp tone, upset by the macabre scene.
"We did Doc, I swear it." George replied defiantly.
"So Little was right afterall?  There's another one of these things out there?"
George stood silently.  He had no answer.
Derrick Larson overheard the Sheriff's comment from the living room and rushed to his mentor's defense.  "Sheriff that kid and his whacko friend were nothing but alarmists.  You can't blame George for this?  No one would have believed his story."
"The kid?  What about the kid?" Doc asked.
George looked down at the floor and shook his head.
Derrick fell suddenly silent himself, realizing that George may have left out some of the details surrounding the theories of Little and Fleming.
Doc focused on George.  "George, what is Larson talking about.  What did the kid say?  And what whacko?  He's not talking about Fleming is he?"
George shot Derrick a look of disgust.  "The kid came in with some wild theory that nut Fleming had convinced him of… after the doctor was already dead of course.  It was just hearsay.  There was nothing to go on.  So I dropped it."
Doc shook his head.  "Well, it looks like they weren't so full of shit after all."
"I suppose not."
Doc stared at the blood stained cabinets.  "This is a goddamned catastrophe."
"So what do we do?" George asked.
"We hunt down this godforsaken beast and kill it.  And for the record, I do want to see the one you killed.  It's been dead for five days and we haven't been able to retrieve the damn thing.  As soon as word gets out and we don't have a picture of the one we killed they are going to want our heads on a platter, and I can't say that I'd blame 'em."
"When is the last time you talked to Larry… or Kenneth?"
"It's been too damn long.  I think Marigold was about ready to string him up, on Monday."
"I know a guy in Pittman who has a winch that can do the job.  I'll call him and see if he can get out here sometime today."
"Good.  Tell him I would be very appreciative if he could get out here as soon as possible.  We aren't going to be able to contain this for long."

Juni excused himself from his dad's hospital room leaving his mom and Maggie inside.  His dad was coming around, in some pain from his patched up wounds, but able to stay off the pain meds stronger than Tylenol.  Juni challenged him to do his best to endure the discomfort with the goal in mind of getting out of the hospital as soon as possible.  His family was in a predicament.  With his father in the hospital and the man who tried to kill him on the loose he couldn't leave.  He also couldn't be sure who to trust in the Sheriff's department.  He paced outside in the hallway trying to arrive at a solution that would give him a little more freedom to track down the perpetrator without putting his family at risk any more than they already were.  He saw no options.  He looked back in the room at his sister drawing imaginary pictures on the medical chart on the foot board of his dad's hospital bed.  He cringed at the thought that someone might try to do harm to her and his mother trying to get to either him or his father.  He felt an anger growing inside at the injustice of the situation, and on top of it all, the beast that had killed Mrs. Finn was being protected by the monster out to kill him and his dad.  And at least one of the criminals was wearing a badge.  Because of it all the news of the other giant killer bears had not spread, but had been kept a tight secret costing the innocent life of Mrs. Finn.
Juni exhaled as he strolled down towards the vending machines in the waiting room.  As he approached he heard one woman sobbing and another consoling her.  He dug a few coins out of his pocket and began feeding the vending machine.
"It's just so unfair.  He was so young," the woman said between sobs.
"I know dear," the other woman replied.  "He deserved better."
Juni looked down the hall as a bed was pushed out of the room a few doors down from his father's room with the bed sheet pulled up over the head of the patient.  He shook his head out of pity for the poor woman.  He returned his attention back to the candy machine.  He sunk a few more coins in the slot and pushed A144.  He looked up and saw the bag of sour candies roll forward.
"Damn, what did I push?" he muttered under his breath.
He looked back at the rows of candy on display and the bag of M&M's he intended to buy in row A114.
He sighed as he reached in to grab the errant bag of candy thinking maybe his sister would eat them.
As he walked back towards his dad's room he noticed a new set of nurses he didn't recognize.  They had just changed shifts.  He continued on down the hall focusing his attention on the unattended bed rolled into the hallway and the chart hanging from the foot of the bed.
Then it hit him, a possible solution, but there was little time to pull it off.
He hurried into his dad's room.  "Dad, do you feel strong enough to walk?"
Sam looked up at Juni who already had his medical chart in hand.  "What are you thinking?"
"It won’t work unless you are ready to leave now."
Sam pulled the covers back and spun around.  "Can you find me a wheel chair?"

Margo wheeled Sam out through the lobby of the hospital and to the curb where Juni had pulled up their SUV.  Sam eased himself out of the wheelchair and into the back seat.  Within a few minutes they were on the road to their house.
On the third floor of Sevier County Regional Hospital an orderly wheeled the hospital bed of the deceased patient down to the morgue in the basement.  On the foot of the bed Sam Little's chart slapped against the footboard with each hard stop and turn.  Later that afternoon the death of Samuel David Little would be entered into the Sevier County record books.  Juni looked at his Dad sitting in the back seat of their family SUV as he drove them home.  He wondered silently if their temporary misdirection would buy him enough time to track down the man his dad described to him in great detail, before he could finish what he started when he killed Alan Fleming in the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly.  Finding the man who pulled the trigger, that was one thing.  Getting someone to take him into custody rather than hand him a gun to finish his business was another, and Juni had no confidence there was anyone in the brown and tan uniforms he could trust.  He knew it wouldn't be Derrick Larson.  That decision would have to be made when the time came.  He just hoped he could make the right call when it counted.
Those were the considerations of a man who had already gotten the better of the cold blooded killer who still roamed the back roads of Sevier County in search of his next victim.  Juni had to find him first.  He adjusted the rear view mirror checking the cars surrounding them and catching his own eye in the process.  He thought about the face of the man who fired three rounds into his father's body, the shaved haircut, the piercing green eyes, the tattoos climbing out of his shirt sleeves down his arms.  He thought about the phlegm filled cough.  The cold hard edged face of Jerry Buzz Reynolds was etched like a photo in Juni's mind's eye.
CHAPTER TWENTY

The reception chair sat empty when Buzz Reynolds entered the office suite.  He peered around the left corner of Amanda's desk, down the executive corridor to see if she was engaged with one of the company officers.  He saw no signs of activity and heard nothing louder than some intermittent typing on a computer keyboard coming from one of the offices, so he walked around to the other corner of her desk and peered down the second corridor, the one leading to the back room where all the company files were kept.  He thought he heard someone moving back in the cage so he inched his way down the hallway to get a better angle.
"Buzz?"
Buzz nearly jumped out of his coveralls as he quickly spun around to see Amanda standing right behind him.  "Oh, Hi.  I was just looking for you."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"Oh, no problem."
Amanda stood there for a second waiting for the ensuing reason for his visit to the office.
"Oh, yeah," Buzz started clumsily.  "I'm leaving early today, because I'm not feeling too good.  Is there any form I need to fill out."
Amanda chuckled "No, Buzz, you just go home.  Did Bob send you up here?"
"Oh, okay.  No, well he said something about paperwork.  It's kinda hard to hear over all those machines.  Especially with my head stopped up."  Buzz stood in the reception area while Amanda walked around to take her seat.
She glanced up after a few seconds of him standing awkwardly in front of her desk.  "Is there something else you need?"
"Who me…"  Buzz stammered a little as he spoke.  "No."
He stood there for another few awkward silent seconds.  "So Juni…  That was out of the blue, huh?  You and he are friends, right?"
"Yeah… I suppose so," she answered with a hint of skepticism.
"Yeah, well I suppose I didn't know him all that well, but I thought he was a bang up good employee."
"Yeah, well I can't really comment on sensitive company matters."
"Oh, no…  I wasn't trying to…  I mean, I'm not looking for any…  I was just saying, it was kinda weird."
"Yeah, okay.  Is there anything…"
Something in Buzz's pocket began to buzz.  He pulled out his phone and read the screen.  He scanned the screen with his eyes a few times.  The text message he'd received was more than a few lines.  A look of disappointment formed across his rough face.
"Everything okay?"  Amanda asked cautiously, hoping her question didn’t extend the amount of awkward exchanges between her and Buzz.
"What?"  Buzz looked up from his phone.  "Oh, no, yeah it's nothing.  Okay, well I better go.  Tell Juni I said hi when you see him."
Amanda sat behind her desk wondering what just happened, but glad the awkward encounter was over.
Buzz rushed down the steps dialing his cell.  He headed to the locker room instead of back to the floor, trying unsuccessfully to evade Bob Ramsey as he hurried toward the locker room.
"Buzz?  I thought you left fifteen minutes ago.  If you're sick I need you off the floor now before you spread your germs to anyone else."
"Sure, Bob.  I'm leaving now."

Amanda's cell phone vibrated sitting on top of her desk.  She glanced over and saw it was a text message from her gynecologist.  She rolled her eyes.  She was still very miffed with Juni and his accusatory tone with Derrick.  Derrick could be stubborn and insensitive at times but she trusted him completely.  Juni's remarks felt as close to a personal attack against her as they were towards Derrick.  She picked up her phone and tossed it in her purse without reading the message.

Juni sat in his Jeep in the parking lot of Larson Poultry.  His parents were safely at the house along with Maggie and the orphaned retriever of Mrs. Finn.  He had just sent Amanda a text message to call him as soon as possible after trying to call her a few times.  He realized she might not be too receptive towards him after the way they left things the night before.  Initially he thought leaving her in the dark was the safest course for her, but when he learned the threat was working in the same building with her he couldn't risk keeping her in the dark.
To track down Buzz Reynolds, Juni thought he would start at Larson.  He scanned the lot for Buzz's '81 Camaro, spotting it on the third row from the building.  He pulled past it and circled back around to find an open spot, though his plan ended abruptly after the point where he found Buzz.  Just before rounding the corner back onto the row where Buzz was parked he spotted two figures emerging from the building heading towards the parking lot.  As they walked closer Juni recognized Buzz, causing his pulse to quicken, but his heart nearly stopped when he recognized the second person.  He swallowed hard as he watched Amanda climb into Buzz's Camaro and the two pull off.
Juni quickly pulled around following Buzz as he pulled out of the lot.  As he passed by Amanda's car he noticed both tires on the right were completely flat.  Buzz had set her up somehow and only Juni's ability to tail him without blowing his cover stood in the way of Buzz eliminating his third target.

"I really appreciate you doing this Buzz, with you feeling under the weather and all."
"Oh, don't think anything of it," Buzz said as he wheeled the car onto the road out of the Larson parking lot.
"I'm just glad you noticed the flat tires.  That would have sucked walking out after everyone else had left in the evening."
"Well, you just never know when you might need a hand so my motto is always lend a hand whenever possible."  Buzz pulled out his cigarette pack.  "Do you mind if I smoke."
Amanda frowned but said "Oh, no.  It's your car.  I'll be fine."  She cracked her window as soon as he lit up.  "So you said you have a friend who can replace both tires where the car is now?"
"Sure, he can get you all set up.  Even get you some new rims if you want."
"Just the tires would be great."
Buzz blew a long breath of smoke out his cracked window.  "Your choice."

Juni carefully followed Buzz's car as he weaved his way through the edge of town.  He had no idea where they were headed, but Buzz was moving towards the edge of town, away from the bulk of traffic.  Once they got onto an empty stretch of highway his Jeep would stick out like a sore thumb driving behind his Camaro for an extended distance.  Juni's mind raced as he worked carefully to keep them in sight but still maintain a safe distance between their two vehicles.  There were no options he could think of where he would be able to track him if he made a move to leave the city limits of Gatlinburg.
He watched as Buzz turned his Camaro up a narrow street heading towards a warehouse district.  That may be the type of spot he would try to take care of Amanda, Juni thought as he turned onto the street behind them a few blocks back.  Juni drove slowly up the street when he saw Buzz's Camaro pull off the road to the right.  Juni's pulse raced and the blood rushed to his head.  He felt flush and started pouring sweat from his forehead and around his collar.  He pulled up slowly towards the point where his car had disappeared, then he saw the gas station that had been obscured by the old abandoned warehouse building lining the right side of the street.
Buzz was climbing out of his car parked in front of one of the pumps.  Juni pulled off to the side of the road next to the warehouse.  He could see Buzz who had his back to his car, to the road, and to Juni.  Amanda sat quietly in the passenger's seat with her window rolled down.  Juni picked up his phone.  He punched up her name and hit send.  He watched as she sat in the front seat.  She glanced down at her purse and dug her phone out.  She rolled her head back showing her annoyance.  The phone went to voice mail.  Juni hung up.  He sent her a one word text message.  "PLEASE!"
He watched as she glanced down at her phone again.  Again she looked perturbed by the intrusion.  Then Juni's phone vibrated with a return message.  "What do u want?"
"I'm parked right in front of you," he sent back.
She glanced up seeing Juni's Jeep.  "What r u doing!" she texted back.
"Get out of that car now, Buzz is going 2 kill u!!!" Juni paused for a second before pushing send.  He feared she would react poorly at more inflammatory remarks from him.
"y wud he do that?" she replied.
"Please trust me."  As Juni hit send Buzz began to replace the nozzle in the gas pump.
Amanda looked panicked as Buzz opened the car door and climbed back in.
Juni called Amanda's cell phone.
Amanda looked over at Buzz.  "It's my gynecologist."  She flashed her phone towards Buzz.  Amanda made an awkward face.  "Ummm.  I need to take this call, but it's kinda…"
Buzz finally caught on to the hint.  "Oh, okay.  I guess I'll go grab a pack of Salems."
Amanda answered as Buzz exited the car.  "What's the word Dr. Flores?"
"My Dad described Buzz down to his tattoos this morning as the guy who robbed him at gunpoint and then started shooting."
"What?  Are you sure?"
"I'm dead positive.  I'm pretty sure he's the guy who ran over Fleming as well.  And you are about to become his third victim if you don't get out of that car right now."
Amanda turned and watched Buzz as he entered the store.  "Juni, I don't know.  You've become a little over zealous with the conspiracy theories lately."
"Okay, so if I'm wrong then blame me.  But if I'm right then you're as good as dead as soon as he climbs back in that car."
"I don't know Juni."
"You don't have time for this Amanda.  I don't want to see you get hurt."
Amanda stared at Juni across the empty pavement that stretched between them. "Juni, you hurt me when you said those things about Derrick."
"Amanda!  This is not the time for this."
"I just don’t know what to think."
Amanda glanced over at the driver's door as Buzz pulled it open.
"Wow, that sounds serious," Buzz said as he climbed into the driver's seat.
Amanda lowered the phone.  "I think I'm going to call Derrick and have him pick me up."
Buzz shook his head.  "No, don't be silly we're only a few blocks away from my buddy's shop."
Amanda pulled the door handle.  The door didn't budge.
"That handle's a bit tricky.  Don't you worry Amanda, you can call Derrick from my buddy's shop."
"I appreciate the ride Buzz, but I really want to just get out here."
Buzz smiled and put the car in drive.  "Seriously he's just a few blocks up.  We'll call him from my friend's shop."
Buzz pulled forward and out the driveway of the gas station when he heard the roar of an engine and turned to see the grill of a Jeep fill his side window.  Glass showered over Buzz as he rocked violently to the side after bouncing hard off the panel of his door.  Amanda sat stunned for a moment before she started tugging on the door handle again without success.  Then she heard someone tapping on the glass by her head.
"Pull the door lock."
Juni was standing next to her door pointing at the door lock behind her.  She reached back and pulled the lock.  Juni pulled on the handle and the door opened.  Buzz sat dazed in his seat bleeding from his head where the flying glass had cut him.
Juni hurried Amanda around the back of the battered Camaro and sat her in his passenger seat before jumping in the driver's seat.  A few witnesses to the crash had gathered around Buzz's Camaro when Juni threw his Jeep into reverse and sped off with a few shouts from the small crowd about a hit and run.
"Are you okay?"
Amanda sat there in shock.
"Put your seatbelt on."
Amanda looked down and pulled the seatbelt across her.  Juni continued down the road despite the deflated airbag hanging out from his steering wheel.
"Are you okay Amanda?"
"He was going to kill me."
Juni looked back at her trying to reassure her, but his words failed him.
After a few minutes down the road he said, "We have to figure out who is behind all of this.  Buzz is no mastermind.  I think someone in the Sheriff's department is part of it."
"Yeah, you told me that already."
"Okay, so I don't have proof, but why were they interested in Fleming right before he was murdered."
"I told Derrick about the break-in.  They were investigating the break-in."
"Then why was his arrest not on the records at the Sheriff's office?"
"Maybe it was a mistake."
"Okay, so how did Buzz know to target Fleming, my dad and you?  Who else knows that we know about the missing shipment of ZXR-82, and that Fleming had stolen the proof from Larson?"
Amanda sat silent for a minute.  "Derrick's family.  His dad and mom… and grandfather."
"Okay, anyone else?"
"No."
"So that is our list to work with.  Do we know what officers were a part of the raid on Fleming's hotel room that night?"
"Some of them.  Not all.  Derrick could tell us."
Juni shook his head.  "I know you trust him, but I can't yet.  He's on the list."
"But Juni, Derrick loves me.  He would never have allowed Buzz to come after me.  He can't be a part of this."
"You are willing to risk both of our lives on your belief in him."
"I am."
Juni stared at the road as he drove.  "I don't know Amanda.  This is a hard one for me to get past.  He's been at the center of this thing from the start.  And he hates me, I can tell."
"He's jealous, that's it."
"Jealous!  Of me?  That's a laugh."
"He feels threatened by you Juni.  You and I have become friends through all this."  Amanda paused for a moment unsure she wanted to continue the thought.  "And he thinks you have feelings for me."
Juni suppressed a guffaw and instant denial.  Instead he gripped the steering wheel tightly.  "I can see why he would get that idea."  He wanted to add to that statement but felt the timing was wrong.  "Okay, maybe we can bring Derrick into this, but first I want to find the documents that Fleming took."
"How are we going to do that?  He's dead, and he said he hid them in a safe place."
"I think he left us a clue."
"Where?  How do you know?"
"One of the nurses at the hospital who worked on Dad also worked on Fleming when he came in.  She said he made a point to say something before he died.  He quoted Shakespeare's Hamlet, to be or not to be."
"And you think that's a clue?"
"I know he was a bit odd, but that's a bit out there.  What if it is a clue?  What could it mean?"
Amanda thought.  "There's a performance of Shakespeare every year at the amphitheater in the park."
Juni grimaced.  "Would he know that necessarily, if he's not from here?"
"Probably not."
Juni began to think aloud.  "Is there a Hamlet road or Shakespeare lane anywhere around here or a business or building…  Wait… I have an idea."  Juni flipped on his turn signal.
"What?  Where are we going?"
"To the library."

Juni ran his hand down a row of dusty books while Amanda looked on.  "It's got to be here."
"What if someone checked it out?" Amanda said.
Juni stopped.  "Here."  He pulled a thick book off the shelf.  "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare."  Juni opened the book checking for any papers tucked in between the twelve hundred pages of the thick volume.  He saw nothing and flipped the book upside down fanning the pages to shake out any hidden items tucked between the pages.
"Damn.  I thought it would be here."
Amanda looked back up at the shelf.  "Juni, look at that one."  She pointed to a tall red spine book that stood next to the open slot where Juni had pulled the thick book off the shelf.
Juni grabbed it.  The spine read "To Be or Not to Be, a retrospective look at the life of William Shakespeare by Alan Fleming."
Juni opened the book.  The inside cover was missing the stamp of the Gatlinburg public library, but tucked in the middle of the book were a few loose documents.
Amanda took the documents.  "Here it is.  The delivery form showing the one missing crate of ZXR-82."  She scanned the form.  "Juni, look.  The delivery man's signature.  Jerry Reynolds."
Juni looked at the form.  "Wow!  So you think they held this over Buzz's head to get him to do all their dirty work?"
Amanda nodded.  Behind the form were a few more pages.  She flipped the page and began reading the next document.  "Juni!  This is an email sent from Dr. Fleming to Richard Davis the CEO of Anderson-Davis Pharmaceuticals."
"What does it say?"
"The subject is ZXR-82.  Here take a look."
Juni and Amanda both read the email.

Mr. Davis,
I have recently discovered a number of disturbing facts regarding the ZXR-82 hormone therapy drug developed for poultry livestock enhancement.  Though the drug has shown impressive results in our target species I have recently uncovered some trials that were buried in a file that could prove very damaging if not addressed immediately.  The drug also had remarkable impacts on other species, cross genus species.  I don't want to get too technical so in general I will say that the indications are that this drug affects not only birds, but also reptiles, and mammals, altering the pituitary in a similar fashion as we have seen with the poultry tests.  But the trials also showed it altered the behavior of the test animals increasing aggressive behavior.  The recommendation from the study was to abandon ZXR-82 citing the dangers of exposure to non-targeted species.
In other trials where excessive doses were administered the results were astounding. Significantly larger doses lead to significantly higher growth rates on a linear scale.  This raises concerns about the administration of the drug in a highly controlled environment not consistent with application in a food source.  This recommendation was also filed in a buried archive.
The bottom line is that if Anderson-Davis continues to produce and distribute ZXR-82, much tighter inventory, and delivery controls must be put in place before this drug falls into the wrong hands and a non-targeted species is dosed leading to highly unpredictable and potentially dangerous results.
I appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.

Dr. Alan Fleming
Lead Biochemical Research Analyst
Chesapeake Research and Development
Anderson-Davis Pharmaceuticals

Amanda looked at Juni.  "Holy cow.  Fleming predicted what happened in this email."
"Yeah, and from the looks of it Richard Davis ignored his warning.  If this gets out, especially with this email, Anderson-Davis could stand to lose millions."
"Looks like you have your smoking gun, Juni."
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

"Hold up just a second Chris!" Deputy Valentine shouted at Officer Beemer as he hurried to catch him from behind outside the county courthouse.
Chris spun around.  "Yes sir."
"What's this I hear about Sam Little?  He died from his wounds?"
"Yes sir.  Sorry sir.  That's what I was told at the hospital.  Did you know Mr. Little?"
George sighed.  "No, not personally.  But you hate to see innocent people lose their life at the hand of a coward like that.  It's just not right.  Kind of surprising too, based on what you told me last night."
"Yes, well Deputy, by my account it looked as if he would survive the attack.  But I'm no doctor.  I apologize for the misinformation."
"No apology needed Chris.  I appreciate you checking on it for me."
"Yes sir."
Officer Beemer continued on his original path leaving George alone with his thoughts.  He hated himself for letting the situation getting so out of hand, but he was committed to the cause.  Turning back after so much bloodshed was not an option.  He seated his hat on his damp brow and climbed into his cruiser.  He'd heard there was a hit and run accident across town involving an early model Chevy Camaro, and that was enough to peak his interest.
His cell phone rang in his pocket.  He saw Doc's number on the screen and answered.
"Deputy Valentine."
"George, I met your friend from Pittman at the site where you killed the bear."
"So you found it?"
"Yeah, we found your bear."
George grinned.  "I told you we got him."
"Yeah, but it's not all good news.  We found Larry and Kenneth too.  They didn't go fishing.  It ain't pretty George.  Looks like one of the other bears had something to do with it too, but it's hard to say at this point."
George pounded his fist on the steering wheel and replied through clenched teeth.  "Damnit!"
"I'll see you back at the station, George.  We have to get these bears before they kill someone else."

Juni pulled his Jeep onto the street as Amanda dialed her cell phone, attempting to reach Derrick.  They had evidence now that he could take to Doc and prove that there was definitely a cover up in play with the head of Anderson-Davis behind it all.  Juni headed towards the edge of town and the road leading to his house while he waited for alternate directions from Amanda where they could meet Derrick.  Amanda pulled her phone down from her ear, frustrated at Derrick for not answering.  She punched out a text message and hit send before she looked up to see Juni driving out of town.  "Where are we headed?"
"I thought we could wait at my house until you get a hold of Derrick."
"Oh," Amanda replied.  "I suppose we can have Derrick meet us there when he calls me back."
Juni looked up in his rear view mirror as they travelled down the two lane highway towards his destination and saw a Sheriff's vehicle behind them.  He glanced down and checked his speedometer out of habit, confirming he was under the speed limit, but when he glanced back up the emergency lights flashed on.
"Uh-oh," Juni said.
"What?"  Amanda asked before she noticed Juni looking in his rearview mirror and turning to see the blue and red flashing lights behind them.  "Just pull over Juni."
"You know my car was involved in a hit and run about an hour ago."
"Still, we have to pull over."
"We still don't know who we can trust in the Sheriff's department."
"So what are you going to do?  Try to outrun him?  Is that going to help?"
Juni sighed.
A loud burst sounded briefly from the Sheriff's siren just before Juni flicked on his blinker and started braking.
Juni looked back in his mirror as they pulled over.  Suddenly a flash of black bound out of the trees lining the road landing squarely on the hood of the cruiser pulling up behind Juni's Jeep.  The nose of the vehicle dove into the pavement sending sparks flying from the undercarriage.
Juni slammed on his brakes hard reacting to the violent collision just behind him.  They screeched to a halt as the giant beast continued down the hill without pause despite the collision with the Sheriff's Department squad car in its path.  Juni looked over at Amanda.  Both had seen the giant run across the roadway, stopping the car it pounced on instantly.
"Are you okay," Juni asked.
Amanda unbuckled her seatbelt.  "I'm fine."
Juni looked back behind him at the wreck left in the wake of the giant bear.  The hood of the car was caved in and the front windshield was shattered.  He could see the airbag had deployed and deflated and the officer behind the wheel slumped over unconscious.
Juni climbed out of his seat and walked back to the car.  He cautiously pulled open the driver's door.  The officer's face was covered in blood from a broken nose and his eyes were welting up like he'd just been clobbered in a bar fight.  Amanda approached the officer's car from the other side.  She pulled open the passenger door and grabbed his wrist checking for a pulse.
"He's alive."
The police radio crackled to life.  "Officer Reynolds, please report."
Juni looked at Amanda.  Amanda noticed a piece of paper lying on the front seat covered in glass shards.  The voice on the radio repeated the message.  "Officer Reynolds, please report.  I show your vehicle has been involved in a collision.  Please report."
"Should we radio in for help?" Juni asked.
Amanda shook her head.  "I think we should leave, Juni."
"What?  What happened to the voice of reason?"
Amanda held up the piece of paper she had picked up from the front seat.  On it was a picture of Juni with the caption underneath that read "Armed and Dangerous, Apprehend with Caution".
Juni stood for a moment staring off at the path the bear had forged down the hillside.
"What are you thinking Juni?" Amanda asked.
"I'm thinking we have a bigger problem."
"What's that?"
"That bear is headed into town.  We have to warn someone."
"Your warnings tend to fall on deaf ears Juni."
Juni sighed.  "Yeah, you have a point.  Still…"
Juni leaned into the officer's car and grabbed the radio.  He held down the button and spoke into the receiver.  "Officer Reynolds is unconscious.  His vehicle collided with one of the giant bears on Route 27.  The bear is headed towards the Gatlinburg city limits.  Do you read?"
No one responded.
Juni pressed the transmit button again.  "Do you read?"
The radio squawked a burst of static followed by a voice.  "Who is this?  This is an emergency response channel."
"I am standing next to one of your officers, lying unconscious in his car.  He requires aid.  And I just told you there is a real threat headed towards town.  This is an emergency."
"Roger that.  Please remain on the scene.  Help is on the way."
Juni tossed the receiver back into the car.  "Now we can go."

Margo pushed her grocery cart down the aisle as Maggie grabbed her favorite items off the shelves and tossed them in.  They had left Sam at home while they ventured out to replenish the cupboards of the Little household.  Sam had a little apprehension with his two girls going out with the maniacal bears still on the loose, and Margo had similar feelings about leaving Sam alone with his assailant still roaming free.  She wouldn't have left him had she not felt reasonably certain that the ruse Juni staged had worked, at least for the short term.
Their cart brimmed to the edge with all the food that Maggie had piled in on top of the items on Margo's shopping list.  They turned off the final aisle and stared at the long lines of the three checkout lanes.  Margo pushed her cart into the shortest line and surveyed the magazine racks for the latest edition of People or US Weekly.  It looked like she would get at least one good article in before they reached the checkout.
Maggie held her mom's iPhone tracing her fingers side to side across the screen, playing a game while they stood in line when a warning sound chimed in the background.
Margo glanced down at the phone, hearing the familiar sound.  "Maggie, put that away, the battery is running low."
Maggie closed her game and turned the phone off before handing it back to her mother who then dropped it in her purse.  "This looks like we're going to be here forever."
"Sorry kiddo," Margo said as she gently tucked one side of Maggie's hair behind her ear.  "It won't take as long as it looks."

Doc stood on the steps of the Sheriff's office in front of a small congregation of men, each armed with some combination of handguns, shotguns and high powered hunting rifles.  Each man had been briefed on the threat to their small community after each had pledged an oath of discretion.  Doc did not ask for an oath of secrecy and made it clear to all involved the significance between the two.  Discretion, he explained, meant that he trusted the men to use their best judgment that day and all to follow when deciding what to share and what to keep to themselves.  Secrecy had disgusting overtones he had no tolerance for.
The men disbanded after a short briefing with instructions to report in every fifteen minutes leaving Doc behind in the Sheriff's office manning a map of the area and his radio.
He pulled George aside as the groups of men began to depart to their assigned sections of the grid.
"George, it's time we warned Elgin of the continued threat.  I need you to head out to Two Forks and get those Cub Scouts out of here before dusk."
George nodded.  He would get to the campers soon enough, but he had other pressing tasks to dispense first.

Juni pulled his Jeep into the driveway.  He noticed his parent's car wasn't there.  Amanda followed behind Juni as he entered the front door.
"Mom… Dad… Is anyone home?" he shouted as he entered the quiet house.
He heard his Dad answer from the family room.  "Juni?"
"Dad, where's Mom?"  Juni said as he turned the corner, finding his dad resting in his recliner.
"She and Maggie headed in town to the grocery store."
Juni exhaled heavily.
"What is it, Juni?" his dad asked, picking up the concerned look on Juni's face.
"Try to get mom on her cell.  We just had a close encounter with another one of the bears.  It looked like it was headed towards town."
Juni pulled his 12 gauge double barrel shotgun out of the closet and then fished out a box of slugs, an ordinance capable of bringing down an elephant, equivalent to a .50 caliber round at close range.
Sam watched his son.  "I hope you don't get close enough to one of those creatures to be able to use that."
"I hope not either.  But just in case…  Amanda you better stay here with my dad."
"Do you have another gun?" she asked.  "I'm coming with you either way."
Juni frowned but reached back in the closet and pulled out a second shotgun.  "Do you know how to use one?"
Amanda took the gun from Juni and slammed open the action of the pump shot gun checking the chamber and magazine.  "Do you have more of those slugs?"
Juni reached inside the closet and pulled out a second box of slugs.
Amanda looked at the nose of the barrel of the shotgun Juni handed her.
"That's the end you point at the bear." Juni jibed.
Amanda rolled her eyes.  "I'm checking the adjustable choke on your gun.  Your choke has to be open for firing slugs."
"Oh," Juni said, surprised by her familiarity with the weapon.
"It's nice.  She said as she felt the weight of the gun in her hands.  Mossberg 500.  This was my first shotgun when I was a kid."
Juni suddenly felt very self-conscious about the lack of intimate knowledge he held about his own shotgun.  "Yeah, it's been a good gun."
Amanda opened the box of slugs and began shoving them into the magazine.  She looked back at Juni who stood back, watching her in a stupor while she loaded the gun.  "I got it Juni…  Let's go."

Amanda's phone ringer sounded as they loaded the guns into the back seat of Juni's Jeep.  She checked it and saw Derrick's name.
Juni knew who it was before she answered, but withheld comment despite his reservations about sharing too much with Derrick given the precarious position he was in.  Despite the APB issued for his arrest he needed to find his Mom and sister with the imminent threat of the giant bear heading toward town.
"Derrick?"
"Amanda, where are you?"
"I'm with Juni.  We're driving into town.  We saw one of the bears heading that way.  Where are you?"
"Amanda, you need to get out of the car.  That kid is a psychopath."
"Don't be ridiculous Derrick.  You don't know the whole story."
"I know enough.  He's bad news Amanda.  You need to get away from him before you get hurt."
"You've got it all wrong Derrick.  Besides there's a real threat heading into town.  It weighs a few tons and is covered in fur.  You better keep your eye out or people are going to really get hurt."
"Amanda, tell him to pull over and let you out now.  I'm serious."
"Enough already about Juni, Derrick!  You need to listen to me."
"You need to listen to me, Amanda!  We have orders to shoot if we have to."
"You wouldn't dare!  You know he's not dangerous."
"Look!  It doesn't even matter what I believe.  We have our orders.  All of us have our orders."
"That's ridiculous…"  Amanda fumed as she sat on the phone.  "Tell the sheriff that Juni is not alone.  If he shoots at Juni he might hit an innocent young woman."
"Amanda!  Don't do this.  You…"
Amanda hung up the phone, cutting him off midsentence.
Juni looked over at Amanda.  He'd picked up most of the conversation just listening to her half of it.  "I really should drop you off, Amanda.  It sounds like they are out to get me."
"I can't leave you now, Juni.  If I do they'll shoot you on sight."
Juni wrapped his grip tighter around the steering wheel.  "This is getting out of control.  The sheriff must be dirty.  Why else would he issue a kill order based on an alleged hit and run?"
Amanda sat silently contemplating their predicament.  "I don't know.  I don't know who we can trust anymore."
Juni knew what she meant without her saying it directly.  Her faith in her fiancé was wavering.  He didn't need to point it out anymore.  They were on their own.

Juni pulled into a parking spot a few spaces over from his mom's SUV in front of the grocery store.  He pulled out his phone and dialed his mom again.  Again it immediately went to voicemail.  "Damnit!  She's still not answering."
"Let's go in.  If we split up we'll find her in no time."
Juni rubbed his chin as he looked at the window panels across the front of the store.  Before he could answer he saw his mom pushing a loaded cart out of the store.  Maggie trailed right behind her as they moved towards them across the parking lot.
Juni climbed out first and yelled to get his mom's attention.  "Mom!  Hurry up we have to get out of here."
Margo looked up, surprised at the call of her name.  She smiled when she saw Juni.  Maggie who had been walking quietly by her side looked up and darted towards his Jeep.
"Juni!" she yelled as she ran up to him, wrapping him up in a big hug when she reached him.
"Hey squirt!  Stay right here with Amanda while I help Mom load the groceries into her car."
Juni grabbed his mom's cart and hurriedly pushed it along to the back of her SUV.  "We have to hurry mom."
"Why, Juni?  What's up?"
Juni didn't answer but just started to quickly load her bags of food into the open hatch.
Margo decided to drop it for the moment and just help expedite the process.  She knew enough by that time, given all that had transpired, that her son didn't tend to exaggerate small matters.
In the distance they heard a woman scream.  Margo pulled her head out of the back of her car towards the sound she had heard.  Another few screams sounded followed by a crashing sound of metal and glass.  Margo stretched her neck to see what the commotion was.
Juni quickly threw the remaining groceries in the back and closed the hatch.  He put his foot on the back bumper and hoisted himself up grabbing a hold of the roof rack.  On the far end of the shopping strip he saw one of the great beasts padding its way through the parking lot, knocking into cars, and minivans along the way.
Juni jumped down.  "Mom!  Get in your car now.  Hurry!"  He turned to his little sister.  "Maggie!  You too!"
Amanda had her window rolled down talking to Maggie and heard all the screams followed by Juni barking orders to his mom and sister.  She opened her door and stood on the running board to see the giant bear rumbling through the sea of cars toward them.  She leapt down and opened the back door meeting Juni as he waited impatiently for her to pull out the two shot guns out of the back seat.
Juni cracked open the double barrel and pushed in two shells into the side by side barrels.  Amanda checked the safety on her gun and also made sure she had one round chambered.  They moved toward the end of the row of parked cars toward the storefront.  The bear had made its way to the front lane of the parking lot and was picking up speed as it ran unimpeded up the open lane.
Juni took a position on the hood of a pickup truck over the right fender while Amanda took a similar position to his right.  "You know these are not accurate beyond a hundred yards."
"I've fired these before, Juni."
"Whatever you do hold your ground."
Amanda stood silently next to Juni.  The hair on their arms stood at attention as they slowed their breathing and took aim.  The bear bowled towards them at a brisk pace, giving them about fifteen seconds to study their target.
At fifty yards Amanda stood to get a shot over the cab of the pickup.  She squeezed off the first shot, hitting the giant bear in its shoulder.  The slug did little to slow the bear as it buried itself inches deep into the thick muscle.
Juni squeezed the trigger but nothing happened.  "Damnit!"  He quickly checked the safety.  As another shot fired.
The glass of the trucks side view mirror exploded in front of Juni.  He looked over at Amanda, confused as she fired her second round into the neck of the giant bear causing it to scream as it continued toward them only fifty yards off.
Juni swiveled in place trying to figure out the source of the errant shot.
Another shot rang out as he heard the round whistle next to his ear striking the windshield of the truck.
Juni spotted the source that time, coming from the corner of the storefront.  A sheriff's officer knelt with his sidearm pointed directly at Juni.  "Amanda!" he yelled.  "Hit the dirt!"  Juni grabbed Amanda by the shoulder pulling her down to the ground as another two rounds fired into the front grill of the truck.
The wounded bear continued down the open lane.  It lost sight of Juni and Amanda, noticing instead the officer firing at Juni.
Amanda looked over in shock at Juni.  "What happened?  Where are the other shots coming from?"
Juni motioned towards the corner of the building.  "Over there.  It's one of your fiancé's buddies."
Amanda glanced over to see the officer as he spoke into his radio.  Juni looked up in time for him to spot the giant bear as it galloped past their position directly towards the officer.  By the look on his face he had not seen the bear before that moment.  The bear slowed as it reached the officer who emptied his remaining clip into the thick carapace of muscle protecting its vital organs.  The officer had no similar layer to protect him from the sharp claws as they tore through his torso like it was made of paper.
Amanda shrieked in horror as she saw the beast chomp down the remains of his catch.  Juni reeled in disgust as he watched the gruesome attack.  He began to reconsider their earlier aggressive stance, taking on the bear with just two shooters, until he heard the pump of Amanda's gun and another round fire into the side of the bear.
Juni stared in awe as the giant rose on its hind quarters.  It towered above the roofline of the storefront it stood next.  It was bigger than he recalled, compared to the first one he'd seen a week earlier.  Amanda was empty.  She pulled down the gun and started reloading it.  Juni leveled his gun at the center of the chest of the giant bear as it roared in anger, placing one finger on each of the two triggers that operated the separate firing pins of his double barreled shotgun.  He braced himself and squeezed both simultaneously.
The gun boomed and threw Juni back at least a foot in his stance.  The two slugs buried themselves into the center of the chest of the bear.  It screamed into the sky just before it stretched out and fell forward, hard onto the paved asphalt lot of the small grocery store.
Juni stood a few feet from the giant, watching the life drained from its massive body.  He didn't hear the Sheriff's Department vehicle pull up behind him as he stared in awe at the giant lying dead at his feet.
"Drop the gun, son." a voice sounded behind him.
Juni turned to see Sheriff Rainey behind him, gun drawn.
He closed his eyes waiting for the bullets to rip through his body.  The sheriff had his shot, with Juni holding a gun in hand no less.
"Juni Little, I said drop the gun."
Juni squatted slowly laying the gun down on the ground.  Doc holstered his weapon and took Juni by the arm back to his squad car.  He cuffed him and read him his rights as Juni continued to stare at the lifeless giant with its eyes seemingly locked on his.
Amanda stormed toward Sheriff Rainey after he had Juni secured in his car.  "Sheriff, I don't know why your men were told to shoot Juni on sight, but he is not a threat to anyone.  There has been a big mistake, and no harm better come to him while he is in your custody."
Doc looked cockeyed back at Amanda.  "I'm not sure what you are talking about young lady, but your boyfriend here is wanted in a hit and run case.  He'll be given due process."
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Juni stared through the bars of his cell as the clock moved at a snail's pace.  Somewhere out on the streets of Sevier County the killer roamed free.  Juni had knocked Buzz for a loop, temporarily thwarting his plan to eliminate his second of four targets, but with Juni behind bars and his dad recovering from his near fatal attack, both Amanda and Sam were very vulnerable.  Maybe that was the Sheriff's plan, Juni thought, to keep him sequestered giving Buzz adequate time to clean up his messes.  The ruse they had perpetrated at the hospital would only last so long, and once the truth was discovered Sam was a sitting duck, not only putting himself in grave danger but also putting Margo and Maggie in harm's way.
Juni's ears perked when he heard the sound of a metal door unlatch down the hall and swing open, followed by the echoing footfalls as they moved down the stark hallway leading to his cell.  Only when he saw the familiar face of Derrick Larson did his shoulders drop, revealing his disappointment.
Derrick began to say something, but stopped himself with a sigh of disgust as he unlocked the cell door and slid it wide.  He stepped back waiting for Juni to move.
Juni stood slowly and moved with some trepidation out into the hallway.  He wanted his freedom but his mistrust for the Sheriff raised concerns about how safe he was inside the walls of that building.
The two men walked slowly down the hall towards an interrogation room.  A buzzer sounded when they reached the door and Derrick pulled it open, ushering Juni inside and then leaving.  Behind the metal table in the center of the room was a single chair, his chair.  Across from it were two similar chairs.  Juni played along at and sat in his assigned seat, staring out the large pane of wire reinforced safety glass into the empty hallway.  A few minutes passed before Sheriff Rainey walked past the open window and entered the room with Juni's case file in hand.
He sat across the table and silently flipped through the pages of the file while Juni looked on.  Juni felt like this was part of the routine, an intimidation tactic, priming the suspect so he would begin to spill his guts as soon as he was given the opportunity to speak.
"So, Mr. Little.  Do you drive a white 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee?"
"Yes, sir."  Juni had no intent to deny what he had done.
"Were you involved in a collision with a yellow 1981 Camaro this afternoon on 5th street?"
"Yes sir."
"Did you stop to render aid, or exchange information with the driver of the other vehicle?"
"No sir."
Doc flipped the file closed and pushed back his chair as he stood.
"Wait!" Juni yelled.
"Wait for what son?  You just confessed to the hit and run you are being detained for."
"Don't you care why?  There's more to the story."
"I don't have time for stories."
Juni snorted in disgust, remembering he didn't trust anyone in the building.  "I'm sure you don't."
Doc paused before reluctantly saying "We all have stories son.  My job is to arrest people who break the law.  And you broke a serious law today."
"Is Buzz okay?" Juni asked.
"Buzz?"
"Jerry Reynolds, the driver of the Camaro.  I didn't put him in the hospital, I assume."
"I thought you didn't exchange information, son.  You know your victim?"
"There was another person in his car when I hit him.  He was abducting her.  He would have killed her if I hadn't run into him."
Doc turned back towards Juni.  "That is a serious accusation, son.  You may not know this but you are digging yourself into a deeper hole."
"He's already killed another man." Juni paused being careful not to reveal too much.  "Two other men… he shot my father."
Doc pulled the chair back out and sat down.  "Two men…  Are your sure about that?"
Juni stared back at the Sheriff, trying to ascertain what he was getting at.  Did he already know about them switching the bodies?  Was he playing games with him?  "He killed Fleming.  It was part of a cover up.  They are hiding the truth about the bears.  I have proof."
"You have proof.  About what?  What about the giant bears would anyone try to hide?"
"They aren't a fluke.  They were created by a drug.  You probably already know all this."
"I assure you, Mr. Little, this is the first I have heard of your crazy theory."
"I told this all to Deputy Valentine.  He knows the whole story."
Doc shook his head.  George had clearly been withholding information from him.  For what reason he was unsure, but he was tired of being kept in the dark.  "Why don't you start from the beginning?  Let's hear the whole story.  My schedule just freed up."

Amanda paced back and forth on the front porch of the Larsons' home.  She looked up as Derrick's father answered the door.
"Oh, hey, Mr. Larson.  Is Derrick here?"
"No, not yet.  I think his shift ended a few minutes ago so I expect him soon.  Come on in."
Amanda sat in the living room.  In her hands she nervously clutched a large brown envelope.  Mr. Larson entered the room from the kitchen with a beer in hand.
"Can I get you anything," Jim offered.
"No thanks," Amanda replied sitting on the edge of the sofa cushion.
"You seem anxious about something, Amanda.  Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said with a sigh.  "It's just been a crazy day."
"Whatcha got there?" Jim asked pointing to the envelope.
"What, this?  Oh nothing.  Something Derrick wanted me to bring him."
"Oh, really.  Mind if I ask what it is?"
Amanda sensed a bit of tension in the room with the focus on the envelope in her hands.  "Well, you know, I can't really say.  It's sheriff's business.  Derrick was very specific.  I should let him see it first and then he can share with you what he feels is best."
Mr. Larson chuckled.  "Wow.  He's got you signed up as an informant now.  How very cloak-and-dagger."
Amanda laughed nervously.  "Yeah, right.  It seems so silly saying it like that."  She looked down at her watch as she continued to fiddle with the edge of the envelope.
Jim Larson sat back chuckling at the situation.  He took a long swig off his bottle of beer as he settled back in his chair.  He had misjudged his future daughter-in-law.  He would not be able to contain her as he once thought.  He would have to deal with her eventually.  He smiled as he settled into his comfortable chair, knowing Derrick had called a few minutes earlier telling him he was running late and to keep Amanda company until he got there.

Derrick pulled up in front of his house behind his dad's car in the driveway.  Amanda's car was nowhere in sight, which pissed him off just a little.  She said she would meet him here with a real game breaker, something that would change the way he looked at Juni Little and what he'd done earlier that day, not to mention shed some light on all the craziness that surrounded them those past few weeks.  He shrugged it off and climbed the few steps leading to their front porch and blew through the front door calling out to anyone in earshot.
"Mom… Dad…"
No reply.
Derrick checked his watch.  Forty five minutes had passed since he last talked to Amanda.  He'd since tried her on her phone, several times with no luck after he wriggled his way out of work.  Everything was going haywire that afternoon in the Sheriff's office with another bear downed in the middle of a shopping center and one of their own falling in the battle.  Had it not been for Amanda's insistence on him meeting her outside of the confines of the department he would have been there another two hours easily and in the thick of what was really going on in Gatlinburg.
His father said he would keep her entertained until he got home, and he was gone too.  He tried his dad's cell phone.

Jim looked down at his cell phone and saw Derrick's name pop up.  He hit a button and the phone stopped ringing.
Amanda looked over at him.  "Who was that?"
"No one," Jim said, clutching his chest.  "Turn right up here at the light."
"Are you sure you don't want me to just take you to the hospital?"
"I'm sure Amanda.  It's just right up here, not too far."
"And this doctor friend of yours knows just what to do for you.  You look like you're having a heart attack."
"It’s not that, trust me.  This happens all the time.  I appreciate you driving me."
"Sure, Mr. Larson.  It's no problem."
"Who's car is this anyway?  What happened to your little Mazda?"
"Oh, this is my friend's car."  She paused, leaving it at that, recalling the memo Mr. Larson had written to HR to terminate Juni.  "My car has two flat tires up at work."
"Two flat tires?  What are the odds of that?"
"Right, I know.  That's what I was saying earlier.  Anyway it's a long story."  Amanda looked up as they drove past the gas station where Juni had rammed Buzz's car.  "Oh wow."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing.  So where exactly are we headed."
"It's just up this street and on the left."
"This doesn't look like a place for a doctor's office."
Jim winced and clutched his chest tighter.  "Hurry."
Amanda drove up the street and turned into the parking lot of a warehouse where Larson had indicated.  She followed his directions and parked between two buildings next to a stair case leading to a door between two loading docks.
Jim climbed out of the Jeep and started heading towards the stair case.  "Can you help me up the steps."
Amanda hesitated.  "Are you sure we're in the right place Mr. Larson.  This doesn't look right."
"He's just through that door, Amanda.  I need your help."
Amanda paused.  "I don't know."  She looked up at the doorway.  It bore the Larson Poultry logo.  She turned back to see Mr. Larson standing, unencumbered by the pain he had been in before, pointing a pistol at her.
"Get out of the car, Amanda."

Doc sat behind his desk intently focused on his computer screen.  He filled in a few fields and hit the enter key and then stared at the screen until it came back with the same message again, just as it had the prior three times he'd tried.  There was no record of the arrest of Alan Fleming in the system the night that Juni claimed they were all brought in.  He'd casually mentioned the arrest to Officer Larson who confirmed the raid and subsequent arrests at the direction of Deputy Valentine.  George was not sloppy with his paperwork.  Something was amiss and Juni Little's suspicions that someone in the Sheriff's Department was involved in a cover up of some kind were not unfounded.
He flipped his screen over to the internet and searched for Anderson-Davis Pharmaceuticals and ZXR-82.  The first item returned from his search listed both elements.  It was the Anderson-Davis website, product page.  It was technical literature intended for a highly targeted audience, but he gleaned that it was a product for use in the animal husbandry industry, specifically targeted for poultry.  He clicked on a link on the site that took him to a bio of the company founder and CEO, Richard Davis.  While flipping through the pages on the site he noticed the common blue and white Anderson-Davis logo displayed on the site.  It looked familiar to him somehow though he could not place where he had seen it before.
As farfetched as Juni Little's story seemed on the surface there were a lot of supporting facts to back it up and nothing that contradicted it.  He picked up the phone.
"Jim, I need a favor.  I need you to pick up a person of interest in a case I'm working and bring him in for questioning…  No I need you personally if you don't mind, and keep it quiet.  His name is Jerry Reynolds.  Give me a call as soon as you have him in custody."

Amanda sat in a chair in a dark room with her wrists tie-wrapped together behind her and her ankles strapped to the legs of the chair.  She watched through the frosted glass of the window pane in the door as three men talked over their options.  She could distinguish Jim Larson's voice from the other two, and one of the other voices sounded familiar as well but she was unsure who it was.  She didn't recognize the third voice at all.  The other two men arrived after Jim had secured her in the small office where she awaited her fate.  She couldn't make out half of what was said but she heard them discuss the issue of Juni and the fact he was in custody of the Sheriff.  When she heard the second man's voice claim he would deal with Juni she connected the dots.  It was Deputy Valentine.

"We've got the evidence Fleming stole from my company.  Let me talk to her.  I can reason with her.  She won't talk."
George shook his head.  "You have got to be kidding.  You are the one who forced her in here at gunpoint and tied her up.  It's too late for talk."
Richard Davis chuckled at his two accomplices, but he spoke in a low tone, cognizant of the girl listening in on their conversation on the other side of the office door.  "What you both seem to be missing here is whether or not these are the only copies of these documents.  We can't do anything until we know that, beyond a sliver of doubt."
George paced back and forth.  He hated all the lying and deceit that he'd perpetrated over the past few weeks to cover for Davis as he attempted to contain the situation, but he was on a new path, one he could not begin to justify from a morality standpoint much less defend in a court of law.  Fleming was dirty.  He had taken money for his silence and then reneged.  Standing by silently and watching him take the fall for his part in the cover up cost him no sleep at all.  Sam Little was a different story.  Had he known ahead of time what Davis had arranged he would have had a hard time agreeing to play along, but as it went down he was left in the dark until afterward.  All he promised was to remain silent.  He could have lived with that decision as well.  But, at that moment, he was right in the middle of an abduction, soon to turn into the murder of an innocent young woman.  That changed everything.
Larson was clueless.  His abduction of Amanda represented the first real dirt on his hands in the whole matter.  To that point he had only participated in a few conversations speaking in broad topics, nothing specific.  But he behaved as if he was watching the second act of a play, just waiting to see how it all turned out.  He'd gone from five years max to life in prison in the blink of an eye, and given it no more thought than what frozen dinner to throw into the microwave.
Davis on the other hand knew exactly what he was doing.  He was a cold hearted killer from his days in the Marines.  Most men serving their county would be scarred by active combat, suffering wounds of the soul that were just as real as the ones to their body.  But as with the body, the scars of the soul represented the healing that took place and showed signs that the man could move past it.  For Davis it was different.  His first kill in combat sent a rush of adrenaline that he craved more of.  To kill was to live, and he did a lot of living on his tour of duty.  Over time the rush diminished, but he had forever become desensitized.  Snuffing out a life meant nothing more to him than tying his shoe, both were tasks that had to be completed if he wanted to achieve his goals.  Amanda represented another obstacle, one he had seen as a threat the first time he heard her name mentioned in conjunction with the boy and his dad.
Richard headed towards the door, ready to do what was necessary to get what he wanted before discarding her for good.
Jim stepped in his path.  "Let me talk to her first.  I can get her to talk.  At least let me try."
Richard knew better than to let emotions get in the way of accomplishing the task, but he knew Larson was the least reliable of their party and an olive branch extended here or there could make the difference in keeping him in line.
"Okay, Jim.  I’ll give you ten minutes to get it out of her.  But then I take over."

Derrick walked into the bull pen area of the Sheriff's office after being stood up by his girlfriend.  The room was dead, not one officer was in the area.  He left the bull pen and walked back to the dispatchers desk which sat empty as well.  He walked past Sheriff Rainey's and Deputy Valentine's offices which were both empty as well.  He started to wonder if anyone was manning the department when he walked back to the holding cells.  There he found Juni lying on his cot.
"Hey!"  Derrick raked his Maglite across the bars.
Juni sat up.
"Where is everybody?"
"How would I know.  I'm not exactly free to roam."
Derrick shook his head in frustration.  "Useless," he muttered to himself.
"Sorry I couldn't be of more help," Juni replied before adding "asshole" under his breath.
Derrick caught Juni's punctuator and swung back around.  "Look, felon, just because you like to go sniffing after other people's girlfriends, that doesn't make me the asshole."
Juni leapt up from his cot.  "You are so ridiculous.  That is not what this has been about.  We're just friends.  Friends who found themselves in the middle of the biggest scandal this town has ever seen."
"That's bullshit and you know it."
"I'll show you bullshit.  We have proof."
"I bet you do."
Juni knew better than to engage Derrick, a player he suspected from the beginning in the middle of the cover up.  "Never mind.  I forgot who I was talking to.  You'll figure it out soon enough."
Derrick seethed as he stood there.  "You know what…you're not worth it.  Enjoy your night in the slammer."
Derrick turned to walk off but ran into Doc as he walked up from behind.  "Larson, what are you doing up here…and why are you pestering my prisoner."
"Sorry sir, I just came back to see if I could help, with everything going on."
"Well nothing is going on now.  We've got another dead bear and another dead officer.  I've got six teams of men patrolling the area for the last of these goddamned bears.  I don't have anything for you, Derrick.  Just go home."
Doc turned his attention to Juni.  "I tried calling your friend.  She's not answering."
"Did you call my mom?  She might know where you can find her."
"I did.  She said she was headed over to meet her boyfriend at his house."
Juni turned to look at Derrick.  "We can ask the boyfriend now.  Derrick, did you know Amanda was going to meet you at your house?"
"Yeah, that's why I left earlier.  She said she had something important to show me."
Doc looked at Derrick.  "So was she there when you got home?"
"No sir.  I called my dad to let him know I was running late and to keep Amanda company until I got there.  When I got home she wasn't there.  No one was home."
Juni stared at Doc.  He wanted to say something but couldn't.
Doc said "Spit it out Juni."
Juni hesitated.  He didn't want to throw out wild accusations.  "The evidence we have could paint Larson Poultry in a bad light."
Derrick looked confused by Juni's last statement.
Doc looked Juni in the eye.  "What are you saying, Juni?"
"I'm not saying anything.  But Amanda is walking around with a set of documents that people have been killed over.  And now she's not where she said she would be.  She wouldn't take off without telling someone.  She knows what is on the line."
"Maybe she's with my dad," Derrick said.
Juni looked at the sheriff for a moment before staring at his shoe laces.
Doc sighed.  "Derrick, your father has a motive to try to acquire the evidence Amanda has in her possession."
Derrick's look of confusion intensified before he finally understood the insinuation that his father might be involved in her sudden disappearance.  "That's bullshit.  Dad loves Amanda like his own daughter."
Doc grabbed Derricks shoulder, calming him down. "I'm sure it's nothing.  But just the same you should get in touch with him and find out where he is and see if he knows where Amanda is."
Derrick shook his head in denial.
Doc pulled him away from the cell and spoke to him quietly.  "Derrick, now is not the time to bury your head in the sand.  A lot of stuff we can't explain has been going on here recently.  We can't afford to let our personal feelings cloud our judgment.  Now it may be nothing, but we got to find out now what is going on.  Go make the call, but don't put him on the defensive.  Just ask where he is and if he knows where Amanda is, nothing more."
Derrick walked down the hall to make the call.  Doc walked back to Juni's cell and got his keys out to unlock the door.
"Where am I going?"
"For now, you're with me.  Until we get to the bottom of this."
Derrick returned after a minute had passed.
"Did you get a hold of him?"
"No. He didn't pick up."
Down the hall they heard the phones ringing, before the evening dispatcher answered, followed by her calling through the empty station for Doc.  He excused himself and entered the bullpen area, leaving Juni and Derrick behind to stare at each other awkwardly.
Doc picked up the phone in his office.  "Sheriff Rainey."
"Hey, Doc.  You haven't seen George this evening have you?"
"No, sir.  How can I help you?"
"Oh, I'm not sure you can.  This is Elgin Peters out here at the Two Forks ranch with the cub scouts.  George said he was coming out this evening.  He's not answering his cell."
"He didn't come out earlier today?" Doc asked.
"No.  He wasn't supposed to come out until this evening."
"I don't think he's coming, but that's not important now.  You need to pack up your boys right now and get out of there."
"What are you talking about Sheriff?  What's going on?"
"I don't have time to explain, and you don't have time to hear it.  Just get those boys packed up and out of there as quick as you can."

George's phone vibrated in his pocket.  He pulled it out, and hit the ignore button when he saw Doc's name on the screen.  He and Davis stood just outside the office suite attached to the large open warehouse filled with crates of chicken feed along with a few stacks of blue and white Anderson-Davis crates containing the precious ZXR-82 feed.
Jim had been in the room with Amanda for over ten minutes and Davis was beginning to pace.
"I need to get in there.  I can get what I need in three minutes," Davis said.
George tried to keep Richard calm.  "Give him another few minutes, Richard.  We don’t need to torture the girl."
"We're wasting time!"
"Just a few minutes, then I'll go in there.  If we don't have what we need then she's all yours."

Doc wiggled his mouse on his desk waking his computer.  He sat down and pulled up a blue and gold screen.  He typed in a vehicle number and waited for the results to return.  As soon as the screen filled he hit the print button and walked out into the bullpen where Derrick and Juni waited to see what he was up to.
Derrick spoke first.  "What's that?" he asked gesturing to the report Doc pulled off the printer.
"It's a vehicle tracking report.  The two of you come with me."
"Where are we going?"  Derrick asked.
"2301 2nd street."
Derrick paused.  "I know that address."
"You should.  It's one of your grandfather's warehouses."
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Amanda sat quietly in her chair as Richard stared at her coldly, eye to eye.
"Now you insist you didn't make any copies of the documents in that envelope.  You swore up and down to Jim that you would just drop the whole thing…act like it never happened.  You and I both know better."
Amanda remained stone faced, unwilling to give Davis the satisfaction of showing him the fear that tightened its grip around her throat.
"That's fine.  We can do it this way.  But I'm being rude.  We haven't really been introduced.  I'm sure you know my name, but you know nothing about me.  You see, before I was the CEO of a highly successful pharmaceutical company I was in the service, the marines.  Yeah, you probably wouldn't have guessed that, would you?  Yeah, well, they teach you a lot of stuff in the marines, how to kill a man in a hundred different ways… and how to keep him alive, barely alive… you gettin' where I'm going?  I'll give you a clue… I wasn't a medic.  Ironic, huh, based on my post military service career choices.  But I learned a lot of interesting techniques.  Looks like I'll get to use them tonight."
Amanda closed her eyes.  She knew she was dead, what she hadn't decided was how committed she was to her secrets.  That decision would determine whether it would be quick and painless or long and drawn out.
Richard pulled out a pocket knife and flipped it open.  He angled the blade carefully to catch the glare of the overhead light and flash it into the widening eyes of his detainee.  "It's so simple, so beautiful, the shape of the blade, and so effective.  A lot of guys liked to use a lot of blunt force trauma."  Davis wrinkled his nose.  "Messy.  That was never my style.  The trick is to cut carefully, avoid any major veins and arteries, you can't have your subject bleed out.  No, no, no.  That won't do.  I've been able to cut on some of my… projects, for hours.  It's really a gift, I think.  So where should I start on you?"
Davis leaned in quickly drawing the blade to Amanda's face, pressing the flat, cold steel surface against her face.  "I think I'll start by peeling your nose back.  How does that sound?"
Amanda jerked at the sound of a fist pounding on the door, causing the knife edge to slice into her cheek.
Richard jumped back.  "Oh now look what you've done.  You messed up my masterpiece."
The fist pounded on the door again.  "Richard, you better get out here.  We have visitors."
Richard looked back at Amanda.  "Don't go anywhere."  He started to walk out of the room before he stopped and grabbed a rag and shoved it balled up into Amanda's mouth.

Doc stood in front of his car with his Maglite painting strokes of light across the front of the warehouse where three cars were parked.  He recognized two of them, Juni's Jeep and George's cruiser.  The third was a luxury SUV with Virginia plates.  Juni sat in the front seat as instructed and watched the Sheriff study the scene cautiously as droplets of rain began to fall through the beams of car headlights illuminating the front of the warehouse.
Finding the Deputy's vehicle on the scene complicated matters.  He had to assume that Amanda was being held captive, and if the killing of Fleming and attempted murder of Sam Little were related, then she was in mortal danger.  The fact that George was possibly involved in the scandal sickened him.  But it didn't matter.  He had a job to do.
Doc drew his gun and ascended the steps slowly.  He tugged on the door at the top of the steps and it opened with no resistance.  The warehouse was completely dark.  A flash of lightening lit the sky and the front of the building as the Sheriff cautiously opened the door.  He swept his flashlight across the room seeing the mountains of crates on his left and the wall of offices lining the right.  He continued through the dark until he reached the first office door.  A beam of light streaked across the frosted window pane of the door causing him to freeze in his tracks.  He backed away from the edge of the door and readied his firearm waiting to make his move.  The door knob slowly turned and the door opened into the room while Doc held his breath and punched off his flashlight to avoid being detected by the gray figure emerging onto the warehouse floor.  As soon as the man cleared the doorway Doc shined his flashlight on his face and yelled "Don't move!"
George turned in surprise raising his hands.  "Don't shoot!  Sheriff's Deputy!"
"What are you doing here, George?"
"Sheriff?"
"Yes, George.  What is going on?"
"I'm investigating a break-in.  Why are you here?"
Doc rolled his eyes showing his frustration with his first officer, but he kept his true purpose to himself.  "I'm looking for you."
"Well you found me."
"So what's the status here?" Doc asked.
"Someone broke in, tripped the alarm, but I must have scared 'em off when I showed up.  There's no sign of them now.  That was the last office I checked."
"Is there an exit in the back?"
George nodded.  "Yeah, they must have made it out the back."
"Maybe we should double check to make sure, now that you have backup."
"No, I've checked all over Doc.  You can check if you want but it's clear, I'm sure of it."
Doc rubbed his chin.  "Hmm.  So what happened to the lights?"  He flashed his light on the wall switch and flipped it up and down.
"They must have cut power before they came in."
"Before they came in?  And the alarm still tripped?"
"Or after, I don't know," George nervously replied, sensing the Sheriff's scrutiny.  He reached over and flipped the same switch again trying to move past the discrepancy in his story.  "Either way the power is out now."
"Okay, so are we done here?" Doc asked.
George looked blankly back at the Sheriff for a second before responding.  He glanced around.  "Yeah, I'd say we are done here."
"Okay, let's go."  Doc led the way towards the front door.  He listened for George as he followed a few paces behind.  He stopped after he exited and held the door for his Deputy.
Deputy Valentine played along.  His intent was to take care of the Sheriff and he was handling the job as smoothly as he could have hoped.  The two men descended the single flight of concrete steps leading to the warehouse offices.  George looked up at the sky when he felt a few raindrops on his bare arms as he walked to his cruiser.
Doc followed the deputy to his car.  "So who do these two vehicles belong to?"
George shrugged his shoulders.  "I suppose to the perps."
Doc nodded.  "I guess so."
"I'll call them in for an impound.  You can go on.  I'll wait for the tow truck."
Doc nodded his appreciation and began to walk back towards his car before he paused.  "Isn't that Jeep the one involved in that hit and run earlier?"
George casually looked over at Juni's Jeep.  He was close to getting rid of the Sheriff, but couldn't seem to shake him.  "Uh, maybe.  We can confirm once we get it into evidence."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that matches the description, especially with the damage on the front grill.  That's odd don't you think."  Doc walked back over and stood next to George as he stood in the open door of his patrol car.
George felt the noose closing around his neck, and his best friend was holding the loose end of the rope.  He rested his right hand on his service weapon and ran his thumb across the leather strap securing it in its holster.  He turned and looked at Doc who simply stared back, waiting for his Deputy's next move.
"You know, I think you're right.  It looks like we have a real troublemaker on our hands.  I'll call it in."  George turned away from the sheriff, dropping his right hand to his side where Doc couldn't see it.  George started to slide into the cab of his car when he felt a tug on his shoulder.
"Hold on, George.  We know whose Jeep that is.  That's Juni Little's Jeep.  And he's already in custody."
"What are you getting at Doc?"
George's question was answered, not by word, but by the cold steel of the Sheriff's cuff on his wrist.  "George, you have the right to remain silent.  You have the right to an attorney."
George shook his head.  He knew his time was running out with the dangerous games he had been playing.  "I know my rights, Sheriff."
Doc looked down at George's side arm.  The leather safety trap remained in place, undisturbed.  He opened the back door of the Deputy's car and sat him inside after disarming him.
Juni watched from inside the other patrol car through the rain spotted windshield.  High overhead on the edge of the building a floodlight lit the narrow parking area between the concrete buildings.  Juni watched with some satisfaction as the sheriff took his deputy into custody.  But his smile disappeared as he saw a shadowy figure closing quickly on the Sheriff.
Doc looked up just in time to see the giant creature bearing down on him.  He had no time to react and simply closed his eyes as the great beast slid to a stop just before pouncing on top of him next to the Deputy's car.  The bear roared loudly as it sniffed the air, following its nose to the giant rolling bay doors of the Larson Poultry warehouse.  It showed no interest in the man it could have easily engulfed in a few seconds, but instead studied the seams of the metal door enclosing the warehouse.  When it leaned with a little too much force against the thin metal door it buckled, increasing the gap around the edge of the door where it immediately stuck its nose.
Whatever it sensed inside the warehouse was driving the bear crazy.  It pawed at the giant door causing it to buckle more and more.  After a few strokes of the giant claws the door began to peel open like a can of tuna.  The bear continued until it could pass through the remains of the door and leapt into the darkened warehouse.

When the door started peeling away Jim poked his head out of the back office where he and Richard waited for George to get rid of the Sheriff.  Davis stepped past Jim onto the floor of the warehouse to see what was causing all the calamity.  The outside light from the flood lamp cast a long shadow of the giant beast as it crawled into the building.  Neither man had ever seen the fruit of their negligence, and stood dumbfounded by the enormity of the creature.
The giant bear sniffed its way into the heart of the warehouse, stopping only when it reached the stack of blue and white crates.
Davis stared in amazement.  "It craves the ZXR-82 feed," he said.
"What are you talking about?" Jim whispered back.
"The feed they tasted over a year ago.  They've been searching for it.  They crave it."
"I don't care what it craves.  I'm getting the hell out of here."  Jim Larson fumbled for his keys as he hurried quietly towards the front door.  He stopped in his tracks when he spotted the Sheriff out front on his radio.  He turned back keeping a close eye on the giant bear as it feasted on over $30,000 of his ZXR-82 inventory, a small price to pay, he thought to himself, for the invaluable distraction it offered while he made his way to the back exit.
When he reached Davis he still hadn't moved, but just stood watching the giant in amazement.  The body proportions were perfect, no disfigurement, no abnormalities beyond the sheer size of the creature.
"Are you coming, or staying?" Jim asked as he passed by.
Richard snapped to.  He turned and looked at Amanda, bound and gagged in the office chair.  Richard turned and grabbed the back of Amanda's chair, dragging it out of the small office and onto the open floor of the warehouse, dangerously close to the giant animal.  He turned her to face the giant bear as it neared the end of its snack.  "Sorry we didn't have time to work out our differences."
Amanda turned from side to side to see her captor in the dim light, but he was gone.  She watched in terror as the giant bear finished the last of the souped up chicken feed and turn its attention towards her.
The great beast roared, sated by its meal of the enhanced chicken feed, yet still wary of Amanda's presence.  She was a threat.  The bear moved towards Amanda when its attention was suddenly drawn to the clamoring noise approaching from the front of the building.
Juni slapped his hands above his head and shouted as he ran towards Amanda, sliding to a stop just in front of her, and a mere twenty five feet from the bear.  "Yah! Yah!" he yelled with his hands up in the air out to his sides.  He clapped his hands above his head and yelled again.  "Yah!  Go on!  Get!"
The giant bear reared up on its hind legs and roared.
Juni continued to yell, but worked his way behind Amanda, pulling out the ball gag.  "Sound as mean as you can."
Both continued to yell as Juni reached down to saw off the tie wraps on her wrists with a pocket knife.
The bear dropped back down and roared at them as it swayed back and forth, getting ready to charge.
Juni kept his eye on the bear the whole time and leapt to his feet when he saw the bear change its defensive posture.
He walked towards the bear again, slapping his hands together and yelling.  "Go on bear!  Get out of here!"
The bear reared back up.

Derrick sat in his squad car out behind the Larson warehouse when his father emerged into the alleyway followed by Richard Davis.  His instructions were to detain anyone fleeing out the back of the property.
"Hold it right there!  Don't move."  Derrick drew his pistol and pointed it at Davis.
Both men stopped.  "It's not what you think," Jim replied.
"Where is Amanda, Dad?"
"She's inside Derrick, but it's not safe to go in there."
"What's going on?  Why did you bring Amanda here?  Who is this?" he asked looking at Davis.
Jim slowly lowered his hands as he approached his son.
"I can explain everything Derrick.  It's all Juni Little's doing.  He brought this on Amanda."
"Is she okay?  What is going on, Dad?"
"Just put the gun down son, and we can explain."
Derrick looked at his father.  He saw him as he'd seen other men in a similar position before, trying to work him, trying to get away.
Jim heard a gunshot from behind him.  He turned to see Davis pointing a gun in his direction.  Then he turned back to his son who collapsed in front of him on the ground.
"Derrick!"  Larson turned back towards Davis, but all he saw was his shadow as he ran down the dark alleyway.

Juni grabbed the back of Amanda's chair and dragged it backwards towards the open office doorway.
He stopped every few steps and screamed at the bear, trying to keep it in a defensive position, on its back haunches and bellowing its challenges.
Once he worked the chair past the threshold of the office he shoved Amanda inside the door and closed it leaving her inside the office out of the bear's view.
Juni moved quickly towards the front of the warehouse, all the while keeping his eyes on the giant animal cornered in the Larson Poultry warehouse.  Juni shouted loudly and stomped his feet anytime the bear's attention waivered from him towards the thin office walls hiding Amanda from view.  Juni backed up to the loading bay and stood in front of the large door the bear had peeled open, being careful not to cut his leg open on the sharp edges of the ripped metal.  Doc stood outside, keeping a close eye on the giant beast.  He only had his side arm and a shotgun loaded with rubber shot at his disposal, nothing suitable for engaging the bear, so he held his ground waiting for reinforcements with high powered hunting gear to arrive.
Juni yelled over his shoulder.  "Check my Jeep!  There should be a shotgun and a box of slugs."
He turned back to see the bear down on all fours, swaying back and forth, backing further into the corner.  Juni wanted to keep it from bumping into the back wall.  Cornering an animal always brought out the fiercest behavior.  Juni started limping and fell to the floor.  He watched the bear as it watched him.  Its confidence grew and it started inching forward towards him.  When the bear made a distinct move in his direction Juni leapt up and over the edge of the loading dock.  When he landed, he looked up to find Doc approaching with both shotguns.  Juni darted past the edge of the open bay, out of the range of vision for the bear.  Doc tossed Juni the double barrel shotgun, keeping the pump action for himself.
The two men stood in the light rain, silently listening for the bear, waiting for its next move.  After a few silent moments Juni feared the bear had lost interest in him and returned to the back of the building in search of the girl who disappeared in one of the small boxes.  Juni cracked open the shotgun.  He had two rounds loaded courtesy of the Sheriff.  He assumed the Sheriff had loaded the remaining slugs into his shotgun.  He tried to remember how many shots Amanda had fired before.  He was reasonably certain that they each had at least two shots.
Juni rapped the stock of his gun against what was left of the large metal rolling door.
The Sheriff looked at Juni and shrugged.  "Try it again."
Juni did and slid out of the way just before the bear leapt through the door nearly tearing half of it off its track as it plunged into the paved canyon formed by the two adjacent concrete buildings.
George stared out the window behind the locked car door of his patrol car mumbling a silent prayer as the bear narrowly missed pouncing on top of his car.
Doc and Juni took up a position on the opposite side of George's squad car as the bear roared into the dark sky expressing its displeasure.  Neither man had a good shot at the bear's chest with it turned at an angle away from them.  Juni stood and shouted holding his gun overhead.
The giant responded, squaring off and rising higher on its haunches.  Doc took the first shot missing the center of the bear's chest by a few inches to the right.  The bear screamed in pain and dropped to all fours.  Juni leveled his sight at the bears head.  They both paused staring eye to eye across the twin barrels of Juni's shotgun.  Then Juni saw it.  The bear lost its fight.  It lowered its head and started to turn away when Juni squeezed the trigger.
One shell fired into the side of the giant bear's head.  It padded away a few feet into the dark before it stumbled, finally falling only a few yards away.  Juni heard the bear moan, mortally wounded, but unable to depart quickly.  He rushed into the dark and fired his final shot, muffling the cries of the huge animal.
He returned from the shadows, but left behind a small part of himself with the great beast.

The Sheriff booked three prisoners that night.  He brought in Jim and Deputy Valentine, and Jim Addison had picked up Jerry Reynolds.  Doc recalled where he had seen the familiar blue and white logo on the Anderson-Davis website as well as on the fragmented crates of ZXR-82 chicken feed in the warehouse.  He'd been to George's house on several occasions and seen the boxes of the vials of medicine for his wife Abby.  George was exuberant when they first got approved for the drug trial, and he started seeing immediate improvements in her condition.  It had been a true miracle drug for her.  But it created an inappropriate sense of indebtedness and misplaced loyalty within George for a man willing to exceed the bounds of the law and common decency, putting him in a spot he should have never been in.  Tom had a vehicle tracking system installed on all of the department patrol cars a few months before his untimely demise, enabling Doc to pinpoint his Deputy's vehicle that evening.  It pained Doc to close that cell door on his longtime friend and confidant, but he could put his feelings aside and do his job, unlike the man behind the bars.
Derrick Larson was rushed to Sevier County Regional Hospital where he was treated for a non-lethal gunshot wound to his shoulder.  Jim remained at Derrick's side until the paramedics took him away.  The Sheriff waited until the ambulance pulled off before taking him into custody.  His involvement in the abduction of his son's fiancée sickened Doc, and he had no conflicting feelings slamming the cell door on a man of such low scruples.
The third man at the scene fled on foot eluding capture that evening.  Jerry "Buzz" Reynolds on the other hand had been picked up and placed in custody while the events at the warehouse unfolded.  He was being held solely on the testimony of Juni Little.  The claim was that he had been involved in the murder of Alan Fleming and the attempted murder of Samuel Little.  They were not going to be able to hold Buzz for long, solely on Juni's word, so Samuel Little was on his way to pick him out of a line up.
Davis had made off with the evidence Juni and Amanda found in the library, but Amanda pulled out her cell phone when they got to the station and flipped through a few photos she had snapped of the documents.  The case against Davis and his four accomplices was shaping up solidly with the evidence they held and the eye witness accounts of Amanda during her abduction.
Sam arrived at the station and sat in the observation room as a small panel of men was brought in behind the glass.  One by one each man stepped forward and turned to the side as Samuel looked on.  Juni observed his dad from the back of the room as he watched Buzz step forward.  His dad studied him carefully as he turned to the side and then back into the lineup.
"Do any of these men look like the man who shot you Mr. Little?" the Sheriff asked.
"He's not there.  That one looks a little like him but that's not him," he said pointing to Buzz.  Doc didn't look as surprised as Juni.
He brought Sam into his office and pulled up the Anderson-Davis website.  He clicked on Richard Davis' profile page.
Sam pointed to the picture of Davis.  "That's him.  That's the man who shot me."
Doc ordered the men out of the lineup room.  They led Buzz into an interrogation room, where he admitted to the flower delivery Juni had mentioned and slashing Amanda's tires at work, trying to take her to a location that George had specified.  He'd been paid a thousand dollars for those two assignments, though he was given no explanation why they wanted them done.  Doc knew why they had targeted Buzz.  He was of very similar build to Davis and they both had a crew cut and were similarly tattooed.  He was merely a distraction.  Buzz spent ninety days in lockup for consorting with the wrong people and not asking enough questions, time served according to the judge by the time the final gavel fell granting him his freedom.  George and Jim served much longer terms for their involvement in the scandal.

A few days later Juni stood on the bank of a small creek listening to the water babble as it passed by.  The past week's events had changed him, mostly for the better.  He had a new understanding and appreciation of life in all its forms.  The giants that terrorized their small community were victims themselves, victims of their circumstances, boxed in too close to the most dangerous predator on the planet.
The last standoff gave Juni a look into the beast's soul, if only for a moment.  He saw it morph from anger to fear, maybe even to sorrow.  Intellectually he knew he had to kill the giant bear.  It had no place in man's world.  But he had a hard time convincing his heart it was the right thing to do.  He'd sensed it with the first bear he killed, staring into its lifeless eyes, though he had quickly dismissed it.  With the second bear it was unmistakable.  It stared into his soul in those final moments.  What had it seen?  Was Juni worthy of taking down such a magnificent beast?
Juni turned as he heard the crunch of footfalls approaching.  He expected his younger sister, but instead was surprised to see Amanda Pressman approaching him.  He made eye contact and her face lit up with that brilliant smile.
Juni's melancholy spirits lifted as well, seeing her for the first time in a few days.  "Hey.  What are you doing in this neck of the woods?"
"Your mom told me you were out here."
"Okay…"  Juni was more curious why she had dropped by his house, but decided to let it go.  "So how are you doing after your whole ordeal?"
"I'm okay."  She wrinkled her nose.  "It's weird.  My fiancé's dad is in jail after what happened.  And Derrick is still in the hospital recovering from nearly getting killed."
"Yeah, that might make for an awkward Thanksgiving."
"Well, actually my ex-fiancé's dad."
Juni's ears perked up.  "What?  You broke up?"
"Yeah, well.  The thought of awkward Thanksgivings didn't help, but Derrick and I have been headed in different directions for a few months."
Juni stood there staring at Amanda for a moment, until it began to feel a bit awkward.  "I’m sorry to hear that."
Amanda smiled.  "Are you?  I didn’t think you cared for Derrick."
Juni smiled.  "No, I guess I never did."
"So," Amanda said.  "Your sister has told me about these trails you two are always exploring."
"Yeah?  She did, huh?"
"Yes.  She told me all about your favorite tricks as well.  How you like to race her and pretend not to be out of breath."
"Oh, she did…  Well this path here is part of one of my favorite trails in the area.  I would be more than happy to give you a personal tour."  Juni extended his hand.
Amanda grinned.  "Hmm.  I didn't bring my running shoes, so no racing."
"No racing.  I promise."
Amanda took Juni's hand.  "So what's this I hear about quick versus fast?"
Juni smiled as they headed down the path.  "Are there any secrets she didn't tell you?"
Amanda chuckled.  "I don't know, there was something about little talks.  Oh!  Are we having one of those now?"
Juni shook his head.  "You know some things are sacred… technically you need to have two Littles to have a Little talk."
"Oh, so little with a capital L".
Juni continued as they rounded the bend heading into a tall grove of pines.  "Of course.  It's like a trademarked thing.  This is something different altogether.  But I think we're getting ahead of ourselves.
"You do, huh?" Amanda said with a kink in her grin.
"Yeah." Juni said with a look of reflection.  "Let's see where the trail leads us."
"Fair enough."
EPILOGUE

The FBI issued an APB for Richard Davis in the suspected murder case of Alan Fleming.  He had managed to clear fourteen million dollars out of his personal accounts before they located them all and seized them.  His picture was on the wall of every point of exit across the country.  He would not be able to fly, drive or ride out of the country without stepping into the snare set for him.
There had been no sightings of him for two months when a man entered an interrogation room at Dulles International airport and sat down while the security officer looked through his papers.
"Mr. Lewis, it says here you are travelling for pleasure."
The officer pulled up the photo of Richard Davis on his screen.  The man had been flagged because one of the security guards recognized him from the picture on the wall.  The resemblance was uncanny, identical except for his hair which was a little longer than in the photograph.
"Mr. Lewis, can you please stand."
The man stood as the security guard double checked the information on his screen.  He looked at the man standing as he dialed his phone.  After a minute someone answered.  "Can you please verify something on file 489238DL17?  Yes…  Okay, can you read me the height listed?  Okay, thank you."
The man looked puzzled.  "What is this about?"
"How tall are you, Mr. Lewis?"
"Six feet, three inches."
The security guard looked back at the screen and the height listed on the photo of Richard Davis reading five feet, ten inches.  He grabbed his stamp and slammed it on the inside cover of the man's passport.  "You have a nice trip, Mr. Lewis."